


The Crossing: Beginnings

by Lisa_Kay



Series: The Crossing [1]
Category: Cross over - Fandom, Death Parade (Anime), Durarara!!, Highschool DxD (Anime), RWBY, Soul Eater, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Crossover, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Language, OCs - Freeform, Post Soul Eater Manga, Post- Durarara Ketsu, Post-Death Parade, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), RWBY - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2018-10-18 15:44:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10620039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisa_Kay/pseuds/Lisa_Kay
Summary: One year into his time as the shinigami, Death the Kid decides to kick off the reaper project in which reincarnated souls chosen by the arbiters are to be modified as half human with the ability to judge the soul.Chiyuki Suzuki was the first one chosen, but she barely had time to adjust before the arbiters were forced to choose another after the fall of Beacon: my friend Pyrrah Nikos.My name is Ruby Rose. I'm just one girl of thousands from one realm of thousands.And this is where it starts.





	1. After

**Author's Note:**

> I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT LISTED OC AND I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE FANDOMS LISTED PLS DON'T SUE ME

_When a terrible, horrendous event takes place in our world, good eventually prevails._

_That's the way it's always been. The bad guys lose. We win._

_But I know you guys aren't stupid. You're like, "Ha-ha yeah, but people die and shit, right?"_

_Yeah. You're right. And look, I know why you're here. You saw your favorite story or ship and were like, "Omg, sweet! New shit to read!"_

_I mean, yeah... Chiyuki and Decim are a big part of this, Weiss and I are together, Blake and Yang make out or something, but this is mostly a story that belongs to others._

_I was fourteen at the time and I was only just learning about the horrible things my world had in store for me._

_Then I learned about the others._

_The reapers._

_I honestly don't know how I'm going to write this. There I was, minding my own business and Misaki skips over to me and says, "Hey we're writing a book. You start."_

_I wasn't really surprised. She'd been planning something like this and I knew she'd get around to it, but.... Why me? Our of all of the people to start it, she could have gone to Pyrrha. Or Chi. Hell, she could have started it herself. It's about time she did things on her own._

_I'm kidding, Misa. I love you._

_Maybe it's me because I was naive at the start. I had no idea what the world had in store for me. What OTHER worlds had in store._

_I hope this isn't too cliche. Jesus Christ, I feel like some sappy romance writer. I'm used to writing letters, is all. I used to write to Dad all the time. You know.... back at Beacon. The good old days._

_Not that these days aren't good. After Salem's army fell and Kid died, things have been pretty normal here in London. Misaki is a great queen and I think Rias and Zechs would be-_

_Never mind._

_When all of this started, I was trying to stop an evil that I wasn't even completely aware of. I thought it was Cinder._ _I've never been so wrong in my life._

"Ruby? Are you ready? It starts in an hour. We've gotta go."

"Yeah. I'll catch up. Let me finish this one thing."

"OK...... We'll see you there, I guess."

"Jaune......"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. I don't think you've gotten the hang of driving on the left side of the road yet."

"Haha. I'm not an idiot. Xenovia's driving."

_It's been one year since it ended._

_It's been one year since Salem fell._

_Since Kid killed himself._

_Since all those people I had started to get to know....._

_Since they died._

_I don't know who's going to read this. I don't even know if anyone will read it._

_So I guess I'll start with a sense of familiarity._

_Dear Dad,_


	2. Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realms away from Vale, Death the Kid watches in horror as a student is ripped apart to reveal tangled wires instead of ripped flesh inside the what appeared to be human skin.  
> Outraged, he sends two of his finest colleagues to deal with the incident, but will they be too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a summary than a prologue i guess....... Ruby's letter was a prologue. This is the fall of Beacon during RWBY volume 3 but from other character's perspective. Enjoy!

~~~~

Sometimes Kid forgot he had more than one world on his shoulders. The Vytal Festival was created for the purpose of unity and he had always enjoyed viewing it, but this year it resulted in chaos. 

He watched, horrified, as one of Atlas' students- a synthetic artificial girl- was ripped apart one of Beacon's star pupils, Pyrrah Nikos. Pyrrah's semblance, being polarity, obviously didn't agree with the child's metal stature. If only he could help her, jump in there and stop this madness. 

But he was realms away.

All he could do was watch as the girl's metallic, red-curled head feel to the ground and her big green eyes faded to black pitifully.

The woman who was standing behind Kid- Emilia Goodwitch- had decided to pop by and watch the games, her friend Hisa Kagami in tow. She hadn't said a word until this moment.

"Oh my," she mused. "What will Ozpin teach his students to do next? Disembowel orphans?" a cackle escaped her slightly parted lips. "I know I shouldn't laugh. I grew up in Vale after all, but... this is an interesting turn of events." 

"Emi..." Hisa tugged on her friend's sleeve, glancing at Kid nervously. "Someone just died."

"That wasn't a person. It was a robot. A _machine,"_ Emilia spat at her chestnut-haired friend. "Ironwood is obviously trying to sneak spies into Vale's defenses."

Kid glared at his subordinate. "We owe a great deal to Remnant. Don't show any disrespect," he sighed, trying to regain composure. _It's ok. Deep breaths. You can do this._ "I want you to get Max. Heiwajima's out of town so it'll just be the three of you. Go to Vale and offer help. I have a feeling that-"

Suddenly the dismembered image of the girl disappeared and was replaced by a crimson screen, a flickering black king chess piece displayed in the center. A soothing female voice dripped out of the speaker. 

"This was not a tragedy. This was not an accident."

Kid clenched his fists. _So soon?_  

"Well, well," Emilia's lyrical tone seemed to shrug and she chuckled a bit. "Shall I fetch Max?"

Hisa shyly clenched her new black news cap down over her ears and winced. "I don't like this. They've planned it... Pyrrah Nikos.... Wasn't she supposed to be the fall maiden? And now Beacon will-"

"Shut up," Kid turned to the pair of women and his golden eyes sparked with rage. "The tower will not fall. Vale's fate is in our hands now. This is a category three emergency. Let all high ranking meisters and death scythes know."

The beautifully blonde Emilia saluted. "Will do."

"And Hisa... go to the roof. It seems we have a visitor."

"Who?"

The shinigami's eyes narrowed. "A rat." 

**************************************************

"A rat? Is that what they just called me? How offensive." Tate Picket's lengthy white tail curled between its legs and its crystal blue eyes gleamed. It knew what had just passed. Beacon was going to fall any moment and soon all of Vale would follow. The sorrow of it all was very pleasing to him.

"And of all people did they really have to send Hisa Kagami? That's a shame. I actually like her. Oh well..... if she picks a fight, I'll have to kill her," he licked his lips. 

_"And what about the shinigami?"_ said the voice inside her.

"Oh that's simple," Tate's round, white ears curled back. "I'll just play dead." 

*************************************************

Seeing Vale's despair firsthand fueled the impatience in Emilia. Heiwajima was gone, Hisa late.... Now there was only-

_"Villain! Thou didst deny the gold's receipt and told me of me of a mistress and a dinner; For which, I hope, thou felt'st I was displeased!"_

Emilia furrowed her brow. _Ignore him._ _He's not doing any harm to you and won't as long as you don't let him._

_"Yea, dost thou jeer and flout me in the teeth? Think'st thou I jest? Hold! Take thou that and that and that!"_ every "that" was followed by a heavy pounding on the airship's door.

With Hisa occupied, Emilia had no choice but to invite her only other teammate available. Her least favorite teammate .

Max Thompson had short, wavy black hair, sullen gray eyes, and although his posture and presence was slouched and almost not noticeable, his voice rang through he metal walls profoundly and Emilia had to admit he was good at what he did.

"Maximum, when is opening night?"

" _If you will jest with me, know thy asp_ -" He met Emilia's sharp golden eyes with his bored expression and frowned. "Huh?"

" _Comedy of Errors_ by Shakespeare. You're playing Antipholus of Syracuse, right? Where is it?"

"How much?"

Emilia blinked. "What?"

"How much did Liz pay you to be nice to me?"

"Never mind," she rolled her eyes. It was clear that small talk with Max was not a good way to keep the uneasiness at bay. He had never been one for conversation. 

"Miss Goodwitch... We have a problem," the pilot came over the loudspeaker and Max continued to chant comedy. "Only two of the landing pads are intact and they both have rescue ships on them. You'll have to jump."

Emilia smirked. "Why am I not surprised?"

****************************************

Max Thompson was not surprised in the slightest.

_"We'll split up. You go to the tower, and I'll find my sister."_

She didn't like working with him. 

But she didn't have to be so blatantly obvious about it.

_Honestly,_ Max scowled as he walked past fleeing students and growling grim. She's such a pain. One moment she's trying be my friend and then the other-

Suddenly, a beowolf was lunging for his head. He stared up at its fearsome red eyes and yawned, grabbing a knife from the back pocket of his black jeans and cut the bottom of his left arm. His black blood oozed out of the thin slit and he cast it at the creature, witnessing it harden into a dark blade and strike the beowolf in its heart. 

It emitted a horrible howl and slowly deteriorated to dust.

Max watched, disgusted, and winced at the pain in his left arm. "Bullocks. This always happens to me, doesn't it?"

"Hey! Help! You have to help!"

A scrawny, blonde boy with crystal blue eyes was running towards Max, waving his arms. He looked absolutely panicked.

Max yawned, "Who're you? I'm busy. The tower is-"

"It's going to fall!" the boy grabbed the sleeve of Max's leather jacket and shouted, "Pyrrah's in there! She's fighting that woman! You have to help! She doesn't stand a chance! I can't leave her alone!"

"Slow down," Max gripped the kid's shoulders and spoke, trying to keep his voice calmly concerned. "What woman is up there with her? What's your name?" _Could it be Salem? Is she here already?_

The boy shifted uncomfortably. "Her name is Cinder Fall. She's been disguised as a student from Haven. She killed Ozpin  and now she'll kill Pyrrah! I can't let that happen. We need to get Glynda or Ironwood.... hell, even that crusty uncle! I don't care! I just want Pyrrah safe!

_Ah,_ Max nodded. _I get it now._ He sure was glad he was the one who found this kid. Emilia would have slapped him and lectured him about how the world was cruel and unforgiving, but Max understood his situation. Not on a personal level, but he could read how panicked and vulnerable the kid's soul was.

_He loves that girl. And she is going to die._

_**********************************************_

_Max was right. Pyrrah died and there was nothing I could do to save her. There was nothing anyone could do. It was inevitable. I couldn't look Jean normally in the eye for weeks. What can you say after something like that happened? "I was too slow to save her. Oops, I guess."_

_Yeah... That wasn't the best Vytal Festival. I've given it a lot of bad Yelp reviews._

_Jesus, I'm sorry for rambling. I haven't talked about this in a while and I'm not sure if I'm ready._

_But I need to be._

_It's time you knew the truth, Dad._

_So here it is._


	3. The Angel Stirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weeks after Pyrrha Nikos' passing she wakes up in an unknown world surrounded by strangers telling her she was chosen by the gods to be reborn as an angel. But she isn't the only one. Chiyuki Suzuki has had her fair share of death as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not expecting more than fifty reads! Thank you so much!
> 
> "I'm an angel with a shotgun  
> Fighting til' the wars won  
> I don't care if heaven won't take me back  
> I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe  
> Don't you know you're everything I have?"
> 
> Angel With a Shotgun by The Cab

"Oh, CRAP!" Chiyuki desperately reached for the teacup but it had already fallen to the floor and tiny shards of glass skidded in different directions.

The puzzled and entertained faces of guests turned towards her and clicked their tongues in amusement.

_What has it been, one year?_

_She'll never learn._

_What was Kid thinking?_

She winced as the sharp thoughts pierced her mind. It hurt. She still wasn't used to the harsh reality of what people acutually thought.

"Really, Suzuki? That's the fifth cup today. It's been a while since you've had a day like this. What's going on?" a firm hand rested on Chiyuki's shoulders and she looked up to see the exasperated yet kind expression of her coworker- Kaneki Ken. 

She laughed, "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me today. Maybe it's just nerves."

_How weird can you get?_

_I can't believe she isn't training at DWMA._

_She has no idea what she's doing._

Chiyuki tried not to glare in the direction of every accusatory thought. She was perfectly capable of ignoring them. It's not as if she wasn't used to it.

"You want the day off?" Kaneki sounded genuinely concerned. "Shuu can cover your evening shift."

"Are you sure you-"

Chiyuki was suddenly interrupted by the swinging of Anteiku's front door and the frantic thoughts of a female employee.

Kaneki's one uncovered eye widened. "Touka... Is something wrong?"

The violet-haired girl was out of breath and she held the door open, gesturing, "All the costumers need to leave! We're closing! I'm so sorry! Come back tomorrow and you'll get a complementary mocha!" She was being polite but Chiyuki could sense the impatience in her thoughts.

When the cafe was empty, Kaneki took Touka's hand and frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, of course... things couldn't be better," she smiled with excitement in her eyes. "I just heard from Orihara... Pyrrha Nikos is awake! We have a new reaper!

*****************************************

Kid could not express his happiness in they way he wanted to. He was almost speechless. The transfer had been a success. He made a mental note: _Next time you see Nona... hug the hell out of her._

 _"_ I'm sorry, sir, but... can you explain it again?"

Of course he could. Kid took in the girl's astonishing beauty once more. Her scarlet hair was so bright she could be a Gremory. It cascaded down her back and complemented her emerald eyes that brimmed with fear and curiosity. 

But most of all, he awed at the arbiter's work. _"I want a savior,"_ he had told Nona. _"One who will bring about peace and hope. She was meant to be a maiden... do me one better."_

Pyrrha Nikos had wings. Bright, lusciously white wings. They fell to either side of her, supporting her frame. 

"The last thing you remember....." Kid replied calmly, "was dying, correct?" 

She nodded solemnly. "Yes, but... am I still dead? That's what I don't understand." 

"You're very much alive, but not entirely human."

"But what does that-"

"It _means_ say goodbye to your normal life. Welcome to hell on Earth," a tall and blonde woman wearing wire rimmed glasses and a suit and tie uniformly walked in the room, saluting Kid. "Are you enjoying her weak state, sir? I certainly hope you feel good about yourself." 

Kid groaned, "Pyrrha, this is Emilia Goodwitch. Surely you are familiar with her sister Glynda, yes?"

Pyrrha nodded and noted the obscene gestures Emilia was directing towards Kid behind his back. "I didn't know she had a sister."

When Kid turned around, expecting Emilia to say something, she positioned her hands back into a salute and grinned, "Yes. I grew up in Vale but Kid-chan here was nice enough to invite me here."

"Emilia," Kid could since the woman's sarcasm, which would have been hard to detect if you weren't familiar with her style of conversation. "Miss Nikos is probably hungry. Go do something about that."

Emila scoffed, "Absolutely not. I will not stoop so low as to act like a dog, doing whatever its master wishes. I'm merely here to give you a letter and go back to bed. I'm very tired."

"What letter?

"This one, obviously," Emilia handed Kid an envelope sealed with a crimson circle inscribed in demonic runes. "News travels fast."

Kid frowned.  _That it does._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only a few weeks after the fall of Beacon. Next chapter I will pick up where Volume 4 ended. Until then.... idk go be productive. Seriously this is literally my life right now why lol.


	4. Beyond Mistral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the very same time, realms away, Ruby Rose and the rest of team RNJR were adjusting to Haven. Ruby, having been reunited with both her uncle and sister, who arrived a few days after she did, had some descisions to make. With Professor Lionheart ill and Ozpin in the body of some weak little kid, they were at a slight disadvantage.  
> But life must go one, and so do classes. After all, the enemy is still plotting their next attack, right?  
> But little does red know....  
> The enemy is already there.  
> And a new adventure is about to start that will change the game forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS! It's been forever, hasn't it? I've had finals and I went to Savvannah for my first weekend of summer vacation.  
> But I'm back now! And it's only just getting started!

_The short time I spent in Haven was nice, however I knew it would not last. We were all restless. Even though the world in between kingdoms was behind us, new uncertainties lay before us._

  
_Jaune was on edge. “Sure we’re safe,” he’d say. “But Cinder and Salem could have others in their little cult and Tyrian will most likely be out for revenge.”_

  
_But even though he insisted we keep our guard up, Uncle Qrow said we could relax at least a little bit in Misral. “Professor Lionheart has put defenses around the kingdom, but he’s not making it too noticeable. After all….”_

  
_The word “panic” is huge trigger for Qrow. Any sort of negative emotion attracts grimm and that doesn’t bode well for anyone, really._

  
_The day that disrupted our peace in Haven did not affect the entire kingdom like the fall of Beacon. It only affected me, Nora, and Yang, who had arrived only a week after me and the others did._

 

  
Yang and I had just finished sitting in a history class and decided to ask the professor something. It had been bothering me since Kuroyuri.

  
“Professor Gorgon?”

  
“Hm? Ah, Miss Rose! Miss Xiao Long! What can I do for you this afternoon?”

  
From what I could tell thus far, Medusa Gorgon seemed more knowledgeable of Haven than most of the other professors I had met. She was full of fun facts and glimmered with intellect. I figured if anyone knew anything about what I wanted to know, she did.

  
I timidly crossed my arms and smiled. “I was just wondering… I’m sure you’ve heard about the brawl we had with the nuckelavee, right? We’ve never learned, yet alone seen one before. Are they only native to the Mistral region?”

  
Medusa smiled, “Ah, yes…. The nuckelavee never wander into big cities like Vale or Mistral. They tend to live in between the kingdoms, preying on small villages like Kuroyuri and Shion. In fact, most rare grimm dwell in those areas. It’s safer for them. People are less vulnerable. And they also tend to live longer. That’s why that nuckelavee was so strong. But you and your team... I’m surprised a bunch of freshman managed to defeat a grimm that powerful. Kudos to you.”

  
“Have you ever fought one?” Yang sat on top of a desk, enchanted by the huntress’ voice.

  
Embarrassed, Medusa ducked her head. “No, I’m afraid not… I’ve seen one, but I have never had the pleasure to engage one in combat. Like I said, they are quite rare. It’s lucky that you all survived, but I hope you took mental notes.”

  
I grinned. “I sure did! Never get pissed like Ren did!”

  
“Hey!” Yang playfully glared at me. “He had his reasons for going A-wall. But yeah….” She shook her head. “It was still stupid.”

  
As we walked out of the lecture hall, Miss Gorgon called out, “Oh and Ruby!” she tossed a book to me. “In case you get a little more curious.”

  
I clumsily caught it and looked at the cover.

  
_The World of Grimm._

  
“Thank you so much!” I waved as we left her line of vision and then turned to my sister. “Do you think she gets lonely sometimes? I don’t think any of the other teachers acknowledge her because she’s so young.”

  
“They might just be scared of her,” Yang chimed. “I think she would totally body a lot of those old geezers, especially Watts.”

  
“What’s that about bodying me?”

  
Half startled and half annoyed me and Nora turned to see an olive skinned, uniformed, mustachioed man narrowing his eyes at us.

  
I laughed. “Professor Watts. We were just talking about how Medusa could whip your butt in a fight.”

  
Watts scowled. “You mean Professor Gorgon. And that may be true, but gossiping about your teachers will get you nowhere in life.”

  
Professor Arthur Watts wasn’t the greatest teacher but he certainly was fun to tease. As Lionheart's advisor, we made sure to give him a lot of shit.

It was a joke back then but I now know he deserved it. 

"Are you girls done with your classes for the day?" the old man continued, yawning and looking at his silver watch. "I do hope you will return to your dorms soon and stay out of trouble. Honored guests or not, if you continue to disturb his lordship I must intervene."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "We haven't done anything to that poor sick man, you old geezer. If there's anyone we'll disturb, it's you."

Before Watts could utter a response, Yang grabbed my arm and waved. "Wow I just forgot we gotta be somewhere. We'll see you later, sir. Gotta blast!"

As we ran off Yang scolded me, "Rubes you can't belittle that man. He's been extremely good to us."

"Yeah, I know. It's just....." I felt guilty, even though it was only a joke. "I can't shake this uneasy feeling about this place. What if Lionheart isn't even here? What if-"

"Calm down, sis," Yang's giant hunk of a metal arm embraced me and I smiled. I had forgotten how much I missed her. "Let's go to the gardens. Maybe we can sneak into that cavern this time. I know how much you love to disobey rules. Let's go break some."

*********************************

When it came to breaking anything, Nora always wanted in and her involvement never fails to dissapoint.

"Pssht... Agent Valkyrie here. I can sense no incoming enemy, over. What's it like from your end, red? Over."

I rolled my eyes as Nora tumbled on the soiled ground of Haven's botanical gardens. She was certainly something. "Pssht. Nothing over here, over," I squatted behing a fern that was twice the size of me, peering through the branches at Nora. "Sunny Dragon, do you copy? We are clear to inflitrate base."

Yang sprinted out from behind a row of tall daisies and crouched infront of a boarded up cave that stood in the middle of the garden. "Copy that. Operation Fuck Shit Up is underway," she clenched her fists and hit the thick iron bars with all of her might. Bright yellow flames and musty gray smoke emmited out of the cave after impact and my eyes widened.

The bars now littered the floor, steaming and broken. 

That was it? They tore like paper.

"You coming Ruby?" Nora grinned as she and Yang stopped in the entryway. "I want to see what Professor Gorgon wants so badly."

"Oh," I nodded, suddenly remembering why were here in the first place.

_"Leo needs a little pick me up. Do you mind sneaking into that cavern in the gardens for me? There's something special I stocked away in there just for this occasion. You'll know it when you see it."_

_"Can't we just ask Watts for permission? I don't see why we have to-"_

_"He's not the biggest fan of me, Ruby. He doesn't even know it's there so it would be awkward telling him I snuck in there in the first place, wouldn't it? Pleeeeeaaasseee, Ruby! I'm very busy tomorrow, so I can't do it! I'll give you and the girls something nice in return! I promise!"_

_"Alright."_

I wasn't sure if there was an end to the cavern we walked for five, ten, fifteen, eventually twenty minutes and Yang groaned as the flashlight slowly dimmed and eventually flickered out. "God damn... Ruby, are you sure this is the place? I'm not seeing anything."

"I'm pretty sure," I tried to sound confident but any hope had started to dwindle.

"Maybe Watts found it and threw it away already."

"Guys."

I was frustrated. "But surely he would have told her. I don't understand. What could be so important that she would hide all the way down here?"

"Hey, guys...."

"I dunno. Maybe she's in on the whole relics and maidens thing. Could there be one down here?"

_"Guys, listen!"_

Startled, we turned towards Nora and blinked, confused, but obeyed.

_What is she-_

Then I heard it. It was faint at first, but grew louder every second. 

_A stream? Maybe a waterfall?_

The sound of running water was coming from further down the cavern. And the air was suddenly calmer. The stiffness vanished and serenity took its place.

"What are you logs waiting for?" I could hear Yang's grin and I felt her feet patter down the tunnel. "Come one!"

I wanted to be happy and carefree. I really did.

But somehow I knew that this venture would not end as smoothly as it was planned to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit rushed, I know, and I plan to fix it. I just wanted to start somewhere. But I also wanted to have an entire chapter dedicated to Ruby- our beloved narrator!  
> Also, I think you guys can leave comments now. So please tell me what you thought and CONSTRUCTIVE critisism is allowed. I'll turn the comment section off if you guys are too mean because I'm here for positive and negative feedback, not rude comments.  
> Not that I think you will be mean though. People on Ao3 are usually well behaved.  
> Also, what do you think of the OCs???? Max, Emilia, and Hisa are characters that have grown over the few years that I've been planning this. Please tell me what you think about them as well!!!! And more will be making an appearence soon!  
> Until next time,  
> Lisa Kay


	5. Difficult Relations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Pyrrha Nikos tries to fit in at DWMA, the arbiters Nona and Decim listen to one of Death the Kid's less than moral solutions to a growing threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's baaaacccckkk??????

Weapons clashed and souls vibrated as Pyrrha Nikos dodged every attack thrown at her and carefully landed blows of her own, tweaking her semblance every now and then.

Hisa Kagami watched from the stands, trying to block out the bellowing shrieks of encouragement or disdain. She had not been able to witness the new student fight yet.

_Jesus, what a stunning warrior. Maybe Kid was right. Maybe she is our future._

“Oho?” The normally passive Emilia Goodwitch leaned forward in her seat, raising her eyebrows in interest and pushing Hisa out of the way. “Look at this… she’s only used her semblance twice. I’ll be surprised if Maka can figure out what it is.”

Max Thompson, who was sitting on the other side of Hisa, calmly inputted, “Don’t be like that. I’m sure Pyrrha will tell her anyway after the fight.”

“Why should she? That Albarn skank doesn’t deserve-.”

Suddenly, Emilia’s words became merged with the other meaningless chatter as Hisa witnessed Maka raise her scythe above a fallen Pyrrha, only to be knocked down moments later. The angel then armed herself, holding both Milo and Akuo up to the cavernous ceiling of the arena.

Maka’s emerald eyes shifted as she desperately gripped the scythe and screamed, “Genie Hunter!”

“Heaven’s Light!” Pyrrha shouted at precisely the same time.

Deafening silence filled the room as a pure, white light emitted from the two of them, filling the space.

_I wonder…_

When the auditorium darkened, students and teachers craned their necks to see who was the victor.

_What are the arbiters doing up there?_

Emilia clenched the edge of her seat, Hisa grinned, and even Max curiously glanced up from his copy of _Les Mis._

_What have they created?_

Pyrrha stood over Maka, white wings spread out on either side of her. She smiled, looking up at the now roaring crowd above her.

Maka’s scythe glowed and turned into a white-haired boy who scowled at the angel and lent his hand to the fallen meister, not taking his red eyes off Pyrrha.

_“What the hell **are** you?”_

Pyrrha’s beaming face fell.

Hisa stiffened.

Emilia scoffed.

Max frowned.

Before Pyrrha could respond, a man with graying hair rolled into the arena on a swivel chair. “Well done! Pyrrha Nikos… you have won this match!” He pushed his cracked glasses back up to his face, breaking their fall. “Ladies and gentlemen… give this young lady a hand!”

The stunned silence was broken by thundering applause and prosthetic arms being thrown towards the lab coated professor.

“Why would Soul say something like that?” A pink-haired student sitting behind Hisa leaned over and whispered. “He’s always respected a fair fight…. That’s all this is, right?”

“Ha!” Emilia stood up and glared at Maka and Soul as they left the gym. “Of course it’s not, Crona. Like most humans, those idiots are suspicious of what they don’t understand.”

“But DWMA is all about accepting misfits, right?”

Max laughed, closing his book and glancing at Crona Gorgon in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? It’s only been three years since Kid took his father’s place. Since then he’s put so many laws into place like the freedom of witches and ghouls. Do you think they’re being accepted by their fellow meister and weapon classmates? Hell, even you and I are still getting a bad rep because of our slight differences, so how do you think they feel about some special little snowflake from another _world_?”

Crona shifted nervously. “It’s not Pyrrha’s fault though.”

“Yeah,” Max stood up and nodded to Emilia and Hisa. “That’s exactly why this pisses me off so much.”

**************************************************************************

“I appreciate you making time in your tight schedule to see little old me, Shinigami-kun. To what do I owe this rare and special occasion?”

Death the Kid glowered at the taunting grin of Nona- the arbiter in charge of the reaper project. “Nona… I want you to hear me out.”

The arbiter’s mouth twitched. “I see. Is this about Miss Nikos?”

“Actually, no,” Kid smirked at Nona’s surprised expression. “This discussion pertains to that one,” he gestured to a white-haired arbiter who stood to the side, observing the unmoving nature just outside of the pavilion they were gathered in. He turned and stared at Kid.

“Me?”

Nona’s deep purple eyes widened. “What the hell do you want, Kid?”

“Remnant is falling apart, Nona. I think I know how to save it. And _he_ is going to help me.” Kid picked up an intricately crafted tea cup and hung it carelessly from his left ring finger. “I need to distract Salem and keep her away from Remnant for a while. I just need something to get her attention.”

While the white-haired arbiter still appeared to be confused, Nona became outraged. “You would risk the lives of not only one of my own, but countless lives in Tokyo? I assume that’s where you want to put him, since you would never endanger Death City. Am I wrong?”

“It’s not about me, Nona. The people in Tokyo… they know how to defend themselves. Shit hits the fan there almost all the time. And it’s not like I’ll leave them there to fight Salem’s allies on their own. I mean…. Chiyuki is in no state of mind to fight anything, am I right?”

Nona hated him. She hated taking orders from him. She hated his twisted methods. “You’re going to take advantage of one of the reapers _I_ created for you just because she’s a pacifist? Is there anyone else you’re putting at risk?”

“Miss Nona….” The other arbiter clenched his fists and Nona could tell he was piecing the situation together. “I don’t mind staying in the human world for a while, but if it will endanger Miss Chiyuki-.”

“That doesn’t concern you right now,” Kid spat and Nona felt a twinge of pity as she saw her friend wince at the grim reaper’s tone.

“Look, Kid-kun… I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t think this is a good idea. Shit like this.... it comes back to bite you. I would know."

"I don't think you understand," Kid suddenly stood up and smirked at Nona. "I'm not looking for your advice, Miss Nona. You are being given orders from your superior. This arbiter will return to Death City with me, and be transferred to the Tokyo division. Any complaints and well.... I'm sure Occulus won't mind being in charge of the reaper project again. We all know what kind of methods made Misaki Reeves as powerful as she is, yes?"

Nona stared at him, trying to understand his view of the situation, but just could not. He was risking millions of lives. He was risking the exposure of the project. He was risking his career.

But no matter what he chose to do, it would always be better than the way his father handled things. And Nona knew that however many lives were at risk she would never hand over her position to Occulus. Not again.

_"Of course... Shinigami-sama."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much! I know this one took a while. I just had family over for a week and my summer class finished up right before that. I hope you all enjoyed seeing Pyrrha, well, alive again, but the mood did have to shift. Some students obviously have not accepted her. And Kid? I know he seems out of character, but being in that high of a position changes everyone.   
> I hope you all enjoyed!


	6. 'Til Kingdom Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the boys of team RNJR can't help but notice that things have gotten awfully quiet for a while, Ruby, Yang, and Nora find themselves in an unfamiliar setting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And the wheels just keep on turning  
> The drummer begins to drum  
> I don't know which way I'm going  
> I don't know which way I've come"  
> 'Til Kingdom Come by Coldplay

“Hey, Mr. Branwen… I haven’t seen the girls in a while, and I highly doubt they’re in class… Should we be worried?”

Qrow Branwen, renowned huntsman and lady killer, knit his eyebrows and grunted, pausing the movie he was watching (Kill Will 5) and turned to look at a disheveled amber eyed boy of about sixteen years of age. “Nah. Why do you ask? Is Oz wondering?”

  
The boy shrugged. “Dunno. I actually haven’t heard from him in a while. I’m just a little anxious. There’s no telling if this Salem lady has moles hidden inside of the school.”

  
“Doubtful,” Qrow yawned and slowly began to sit up out of the couch he was slouching in. “After what happened to Vale, Leo has eyes stationed all over the place. Hell, he even brought over Miss Gorgon over from another kingdom just to keep an eye out. She graduated at the top of her class. Nothing gets by her.”

  
“I didn’t know that... What kingdom is she from?”

  
Ignoring him, Qrow clumsily stumbled over to the door and pointed outside. “Come on, kid… an aura manifestation class starts in about fifteen. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  
“No.”

  
“That’s the spirit, pipsqueak.”

********************************************************

  
As Jaune Arc looked up at the clock for the seventeenth time, he felt his teammate- Lie Ren- nudge the center of his back. In response, Jaune turned his head slightly to the left in hopes that his ancient professor would not notice. “What?” he mouthed.

  
“Girls,” Ren mouthed back, not taking his eyes off of the creeping instructor. “I don’t see them. Did they skip?”

  
Jaune shrugged. “Probably”

  
_“Mr. Arc!”_

  
A shiver went down the blonde huntsman’s back as he looked into the piercing black eyes of professor Londy Lilac. “Y-y-y-yes ma-ma’am?” he stuttered.

  
“Where are Miss Valkyrie and Miss Rose? It’s surprisingly quiet this afternoon.”

  
“I-I’m not s-sure ma’am. Maybe Qrow sent them on a mission.”

  
Oops. Just saying the word “mission” sent the class into a fierce dance of whispers and gossip.

  
_“Ruby Rose always gets the special treatment.”_

  
_“Why does she get out of things just because she was at Vale when Beacon fell?”_

  
_“She’s not even old enough to take classes at this academy.”_

  
_“So maybe she should start showing professors like Lilac and Watts some respect.”_

  
“Quiet!” Lilac slammed her decaying, wrinkled hands on the chalkboard to return the environment to dead silence. “Now… as I was saying…”

  
As he turned to face the clock for the eighteenth time, Jaune could not help but worry. _The girls usually let us know when they skip class. And we always go on missions as a team._

  
But that worry quickly subsided because the thought of Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose, or Yang Xiao Long in danger made Jaune roll his eyes.

  
_They’re probably just beating up some poor beowolf._

**********************************************

  
“Holy shit. What the hell is this?”

  
The source of the running water was not at all what I had expected it to be.

  
The dirt covered pathway we were treading on had turned to a beige colored tile and the cobbled stone walls transformed to polished marble. And all three of us were staring at a golden fountain spewing crystal clear water into a lily pond.

  
And _people_.

  
“Where the hell are we?”

  
Men and women in business suits walked around the fountain and up the alabaster stairs with charcoal railing that were on either side of it. Each and every person cast disapproving looks at our misfit trio.  
I could not thing of what to say. I could only turn around, hoping that the cavern was still behind us.

  
Nope.

  
There were doors to what I had assumed to be offices lined up on each wall and people rushed in through the glass front doors.

  
“I think it’s going to be a little difficult to bring this back to Medusa,” Nora grinned, obviously meaning it as a joke but Yang was not in the mood. She sternly glared at Nora.

“Really?”

“Excuse me?” I decided to take action and tapped one of the men who was making his way towards one flight of stairs. He had short raven hair and ashen eyes. Unlike the other workers, he wore jeans, a black t-shirt, and a jet coat with white fur trimming. “What is this place?”

  
I expected him to ask us where our parents were or call security. After all, we were just kids.

  
But instead the man laughed.

“How remarkable!” his voice was sly, almost like the movement of a snake. “You girls must be quite lost! This is the DWMA center, not the toy store!”

  
“And what the hell is a DWMA?” Yang barked.

  
“Huh?” the man looked confused now. “How do you not know what DWMA is? How old are you?”

  
_“Izaya!”_ A much older looking man walked up to him and grabbed the hood of his jacket. “Don’t you have a meeting in ten minutes? Leave these girls alone and waltz your sorry ass up there!”

  
“Wait!” I tried to ask another question, but Izaya and his coworker were already trudging up the stairs. “I don’t understand… what were they talking about? What is going-.”

  
_“Ruby Rose?”_

  
I stopped midsentence. I could not breath. I could not move. No. How can she be here?

  
_“Weiss?”_  


 


	7. The Wanted and Unwanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the same building as Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Weiss, Kid takes the first step in defeating Salem.

It has been millions of years since the world came to be, but arbiters have only just begun to scratch the surface of understanding human beings and their emotions and state of mind. But our world… Our world is all but a mystery to them.

With a few exceptions.

“Miss Nona, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am for your cooperation. This means a lot to me and the other Spartoi members here at DWMA.”

 _What the hell does he mean by that?_ He basically _is_ Spartoi. The arbiter in charge of Shinigami-sama’s reaper project- Nona- reluctantly followed Death the Kid through the bustling halls of Tokyo’s DWMA Center. Every now and then she would turn around and look at her concerned colleague Decim, who was obviously having a difficult time adjusting to the human environment.

  
The grim reaper, however, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. His smile had not faltered since Nona had first laid eyes on him that day.

  
Two weeks had passed since their last meeting and although Nona tried to protest against Kid’s absurd and twisted idea of leading Salem’s destructive lackeys to civilized Tokyo, she did not want to hand her position over to Oculus, who would most definitely have crueler methods in mind. And even though Kid was not at all like his father when it came to dealing with other realms, Nona still hated him.

  
Kid wanted peace. He wanted balance. He wanted everyone to get along. But he was still a child. He would make many mistakes, and this would definitely be one of the bigger ones.

  
But who was Nona to judge? Kid was not dead. His heart beat and his yellow eyes still had light left in them. Therefore, it was not her place to control the choices he made.

  
“Ah, here we are,” Pulling Nona from her thoughts, the shinigami pointed to a door on their left, nodding at several gushing female employees who walked by. He pulled the door open, gesturing inside. “Oh, after you and your pet. I insist.”

  
Raising an eyebrow, Nona lifted her chin up and proudly strutted into the room. It felt ridiculous but first impressions mattered. If Tokyo was to be destroyed physically, the political state should remain intact.

  
Nona was not impressed by the plain, cliché appearance of the room, but her interest piqued when she saw the expected company she and Kid kept.

  
It had been a year since they had seen each other, but the second reaper- Chiyuki Suzuki- still had an anxious demeanor. She was sitting in one of the three black couches that surrounded a marble table. When she saw Nona, Chiyuki waved, but quickly averted her gaze when Decim directed a soft smile at her.

  
Now Nona had heard many things about Izaya Orihara from Kid, but the man himself looked ten times slimier and untrustworthy than the verbal description. He sat on the couch to Chiyuki’s right, his lips curling up into a mischievous grin and his cool gray eyes scanning the room.

  
His presence displeased Nona, but she understood why he was needed. Kid was currently blackmailing him, knowing that he contained vast knowledge of most of the criminals in Tokyo. The reason for said blackmail, however, was that Izaya also had very sensitive information on a very serious case that Kid’s father dealt with nearly ten years ago that could not be made public.

  
Needless to say, Tokyo’s most notorious informant was in quite of a predicament. Nona placed herself next to Chiyuki so she would not have to look at him.  
“Is this all, shinigami?” A tall woman with white hair pulled up into a bun was seated on the third couch. She wore a very distinguished white a blue military uniform and her icy blue eyes bore into Nona’s chest. She gripped the sword that was holstered to her side and grit her teeth. “I must head back to London. General Ironwood said that Lady Rias-.”

  
“-can wait a few more days for your arrival, I’m sure.” Kid’s smile disappeared for a moment and his glee was replaced with irritation. “This plan could save all of Remnant. Now are you capable of sitting tight while I can quickly discuss this with you all? Is that so difficult to ask, Miss Schnee?”

  
“No sir,” Winter Schnee loosened her grip and her already present scowl deepened. “Although I don’t see why he must be present.”

  
Izaya Orihara bitterly put a hand to his chest and made a scandalized expression. “Me? Now look here, Winter… none of us really want to be here. Half of us are older than this spoiled brat but he still chooses to boss us around.”

  
“That’s enough, Orihara,” Kid snapped. “The only reason you’re here is because this affects Tokyo, which, God help us all, is under your supervision. Now… I trust you remember the incident one year ago where there was a glitch in the arbitrary system? A young woman remembered the fact that she was dead and therefore was placed under an arbiter’s supervision." 

  
Yawning, the informant nodded. “She’s right here you know.” He waved to Chiyuki who, Nona could tell, wanted to avoid interacting with him as much as possible.

  
Chiyuki suddenly appeared to be fascinated with something on the ceiling.

  
Kid ignored Izaya. “That arbiter is with us today. And he is unlike most. He possesses a soul and the ability to feel, and that is a vital part in our next move against Salem.”

  
“I don’t think I get it,” Winter frowned. “What does that have to do with-.”

 

“Miss Schnee, the presence of a soul like that would most like attract lots of attention, don’t you think?” Nona made sure to glower at kid as she said every word. “Mostly unwanted attention.”

  
Izaya looked unimpressed. “Do you really think Salem cares about one arbiter? I think it would take more than that to make her crawling here herself.” He looked at Decim and winked. "Don't you think so, arbiter?"

  
“Of course. I’m not an idiot, Orihara,” Kid rolled his eyes at the informant and then turned to Winter. “Decim is here just to pique Salem’s curiosity further. If the rumors are true, then this next piece will help us immensely. From what I’ve heard, Cinder Fall has quite the bone to pick with young Ruby Rose. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Ruby decided to come across a gate one day, and lead one of Salem’s most powerful allies right to us? Also… an arbiter and a silver eyed warrior in the same place? Salem can’t pass that up. And if we’re lucky we might get a glimpse of who else she’s been working with, hmm?”

  
Winter’s face warped into a murderous expression. “You dirty reaper! Something like that will most certainly start a fight right here in the streets of Tokyo! Innocent people will be killed!”

  
“There’s also no guarantee that Miss Rose will just ‘come across’ a gate. Few people in Remnant know of their existence,” Chiyuki whispered. “Do you really think she’ll just happen to find this place?”

  
“Well as a matter of fact….. Yes. I saw her just a few moments ago. She and her posse looked very lost.”

  
Every head in the room turned to Izaya.

  
He smiled innocently. “What?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope you guys enjoyed this! I'm quite proud of this chapter. Nona gets to complain about Kid some more, Izaya appears, and there's the first Decim and Chiyuki reaction! They don't say much, but hey it's something!  
> I have the rough draft for the next two chapters but it takes a while for me to find the time to type. You know, school and all.  
> Until next time!


	8. Of Brothers and Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kid's plan make take place sooner than expected, because four bounty hunters arrive with news of Cinder's definite crossing from Haven into Tokyo. Pyrrha talks with Max about his more popular brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "My heart is made of wax  
> Just like these wings I've fixed  
> I strapped them to my back  
> Doomed from the start of it  
> You're the sun in my sky  
> Can't seem to reach you still  
> I keep on flying high  
> Knowing it's probably gonna,  
> Kill me, kill me."  
> The Score, Catching Fire

Even in the daylight, Tokyo was beautiful to look at from several stories up. The lean and stout buildings glared down at the earth and its people, who moved in clusters and herds with a mistake sense of purpose.

"The gate will open in soon and no word from Goodwitch.... Will Master Icarus have to come and save the day  _himself_? Probably. What else is new? he  _warned_ Emilia. We all did. Maybe we misinterpreted her intentions." 

Tate Pickett never seemed to know when to shut his freaking mouth. You all have met her already. I am sure you remember. He leaves a certain kind of impression on people. It has no manner or manners. He's quite a convoluted individual.  "I dunno.. you spoke to Hisa the night Beacon fell, right? Surely she told Emi..."

"Fools. It does not matter. Since Goodwitch hasn't contacted us and Master Thompson is still absent, we have a new objective: Kill everything that comes through that gate."

No one in the crowd below seemed to notice the three bounty hunters, who were looming above Tokyo's streets from the top of the DWMA center. But they had no business with the core realm's humans. They were waiting. 

Judgement day had come. 

"Geez, Shanti.... Why are you so serious all the time? No wonder you can't get a girlfriend. You've always got a stick up your butt." 

A dark-skinned woman with ammunition and two shotguns strapped to her back, glanced disapprovingly at Tate. "If you speak to me in such a casual manner again, I will cut out your tongue. A filthy sewer rat should know its place," her deep voice wheezed and cracked through her scratched, metal mask that covered the bottom half of her face. 

Everyone knows about Shanti Omar's battle scars that lie under her mask, but they know better than to ask her, which is probably for the best. She's never been the most sociable woman. 

"Whatever," Tate scoffed, "You're such a freak. No wonder Icarus likes you so much. It's totally favoritism. Ramona thinks so too." 

The final member of their trio was just thin, sickly looking seventeen year old girl. She had short pink hair, big blue eyes, and over sized glasses. She kind of resembled an anime character.

The girl, Ramona Parker, blushed and gripped the bedazzled pink handle of her black baseball bat. "Um... I don't think so. Rus loves  _all_ of us. Even you, Tate-kun! Shanti just knows how to be a good leader. That's why he always puts her in charge."

_"Love?"_ Tate laughed. "What the hell is that? You've gotta be joking, Mona! Don't be such a softy! Emotions and shit get ya killed!" 

"Quiet, rat," Shanti screw her scroll at Tate, who managed to catch it before it flew past her and barreled towards the ground. "There is finally news from Master Thompson. He is at the Gremory Mansion."

_"London?"_ Ramona gawked. "Why? Cinder Fall is coming to Tokyo, right?"

Shanti grunted. "I suppose he's just taking precautionary measures. They might be planning to come through both gates. But... even if they  _do_ manage to get through the London gate, it will be a challenge to make it through the mansion. As a matter of fact....." her voice whirred up and down mechanically, which the other two mercenaries assumed to be the woman's attempt at a chuckle. "I'd say that's outright suicide."

**************************************************

Vale was slowly but surely recovering from the fall of Beacon and soon Icarus Thompson would return to Death City. 

"Everyone in this town certainly loves your brother but seem to overlook you. Do you know why that is?" Because of all the excitement, Pyrrha was curious and decided to ask Max about his younger brother one day after a training session. It also frustrated her that she did not know much about this reclusive Thompson boy, other than everything she had heard about Icarus. In fact, Pyrrha felt like she knew  _him_ more than Max, despite the fact that she had never even laid eyes on Icarus. 

Max's mouth twitched at this spontaneous question and Pyrrha suddenly regretted asking. It was none of her business. 

"Why the sudden interest in my brother's popularity and my lack thereof?"

Pyrrha stiffened. "I-I'm sorry..... That wasn't polite of me."

"Don't apologize, kid. To be honest, I'm not sure what to tell you. That's more of an Emilia question, but she'd just tell you my brother is trying to make himself look good. He wants to be the next grim reaper and so does Emi, so of course that make Icarus public enemy number one in her eyes. And to answer your question.... I've never really cared about the limelight. It doesn't matter to me what my status is. I just want Rus to be happy. And he is."

"Miss Emilia says you're stronger than him." 

He laughed, "I don't know about that. Like I said.... that shit is unimportant. I could care less. And don't listen to Emi. I've already told you; she's just trying to make everyone else look bad. She's never gonna be satisfied until both Death the Kid  _and_ my brother are kneeling at her feet." 

Pyrrha could not help but smile at that thought. "I won't be surprised if she pulls it off. But then again... I've yet to meet Icarus."

Max nodded and suddenly averted his gaze from Pyrrha to the phone in his hand. As he read the screen, his face warped into an urgent expression. " _Pyyrha._ We need to go  _now,"_ he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the academy's halls.

"What's going on?"

When he didn't respond, Pyrrha suddenly felt very afraid. This could not be good. She had never seen a face like that on Max before. What was happening? "Max?"

Nothing but aimless chatter from passing students answered her. "Max?"

His grip on her hand tightened but he still remained. 

_I don't like this._

She finally gave up, but the fear was still present in her soul. 

_i don't like this at all._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooooooooooooooo sorry about the hiatus. I did not have a whole lot a free time last semester and when Christmas came, I used all of that break to rest. Ann I know I said I already had a couple of chapters already written but they weren't good enough for me so I trashed those drafts. I plan to have volume one done by May since this semester won't be as hectic! The next two chapters will be up almost immediately after this one. I have spent this weekend revising them and I'm really excited about what is coming up next! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Icarus' mercenaries are some of my favorite characters!


	9. Weiss Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing Ruby and Yang again was like a beautiful dream and a punch to the gut. She was happy to see them but at the same time she knew why they had been sent through the gate.

Weiss Schnee just wanted to be with her sister Winter, reunite  with her team, and get as far  away from her father as humanly possible. 

Not necessarily in that order.

And when she arrived in Mistral, her sister was waiting for her. News of Weiss' escape had traveled quickly. More quickly than she preferred. 

_"You dolt! What you did was highly dangerous! You reputation is on the line! And do you know how worried will be?"_

_No. He's never been worried before._ "I'm sorry, Winter. I just needed to  _do_ something. I was trapped."

Winter's cold demeanor suddenly melted and Weiss saw the warmth in her icy blue eyes that she missed so much. 

_"My dear sister.... do you want to see something incredible?"_

*********************************

 _"Ruby Rose?"_ Weiss was in shock.  _No... this is all wrong. I wasn't supposed to happen like this._

_"Weiss?"_

Yes, she was happy to see her teammates, but at the same time...

_This is what everyone has been trying to prevent._

_"How did you end up all the way out here, Ice Queen?"_

Medusa had been specifically instructed to keep the gate closed.

 

 

_Unless._

 

 

 

_"Are you okay?"_

 

 

 

_Something wen't wrong._

 

 

 

 

_"Weiss?"_

 

 

 

 

 

 

_This does not bode well for **anyone** in Tokyo." _


	10. Reapers and Huntresses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby, Yang and Nora confer with Death the Kid who isn't much help but Chiyuki is. Jaune, Oscar, and Ren reunite with a friend. The gate begins to open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "She's a maniac, maniac on the floor  
> And she's dancing like she's never danced before"  
> -Maniac by Michael Sembello

"What in God's name do you mean by that, Orihara? No one authorized a crossing! At least..." Winter Schnee was confused at first but then she realized, if the informant was telling the truth, what the presence of the girls meant. "Oh."

"Precisely." Despite the pressing situation, Izaya fiddled with a rubix cube and grinned. "No one  _here_ did. But who knows, Lionheart probably sent them. It's probably just some random false alarm."

"Impossible." Kid interjected. "He would have sent teachers, not children. Orihara... do you swear by my father's soul that you saw Miss Rose?"

"That's a bit extreme. Do you want me to swear on the Bible as well? The whole truth, nothing but the truth?'

_"Orihara."_

Izaya rolled his eyes.  _"Yes._ She's here with two of her little Beacon friends." 

"I personally think this is ridiculous," Nona expressed. "Why would those three kids even cross over? Gates are only supposed to be opened when a threat is eminent. And Remnant doesn't have the luxury of sending young warriors to other realms right now. Not even Atlas." She pointed to Izaya. "I think this sewer rat is a fucking liar. He's just trying to get our attention.'

"Careful, Nona-chan. I may be sociopathic but I assure you I'm not a liar~" 

"Why you-"

_"He's right."_

All heads in the room turned from the irritated arbiter to Chiyuki, whose expression was warped with panic. She looked right at Death the Kid.

_"I can hear them."_

*************************

Jaune was about the call Nora for the fifteenth time when he heard the first shot and it was right outside the dorm's door. He, Ren, and Oscar immediately grabbed their weapons in response and rushed to the door. Jaune's hands shook as he nodded at Ren to open the door and he gripped the handle of the sword tight. He could hear more gunshots outside.

The door opened and Lionheart's limp body fell back. There were multiple bullet wounds on his chest. 

"Hey guys... we need to leave. They're already here."

Blake Belladoonna stood in the doorway, Gamble Shroud in hand.

_"Huh?"_ Oscar looked terrified. "Jaune... this crazy Faunus just killed the professor!"

_Yeah. Yeah she kind of did. She definitely did. "Blake?"_

"You know this psychopath?"

No one had seen or even heard from Bale since the Fall of Beacon. So why was she here? And why did she kill Lionheart?  _Wait._ "Blake, where's Qrow?" 

Blake's ears leaned back she tapped her foot impatiently. "I'll explain everything later but we need to go to the gate. Lionheart has been giving information to Salem and he was on his way to kill you. We need to follow them across before it closes." 

"What do you mean 'across?' What about Haven? We can't just-"

"Listen to her, kid." Qrow suddenly shuffled out from behind the wall of the corridor. He looked incredibly sad. "Haven's gone at this point. I just went to Medusa to see if she knew where the girls were. She's dead. They're already here and they know where the gate is. Cinder may have already opened it."

All the confusion in Jaune's head was suddenly replaced with anger and hatred. His aura emitted terrible bloodlust. 

_Cinder._

*********************

Now I'm not a genius but I know that dead things should probably stay dead. I've seen horror movies. You don't just tamper with life. You also shouldn't enter abandoned buildings at night but that's not really the point. Bringing people back usually doesn't end well in fiction.

But I guess Kid really knew his shit. 

After Weiss took us to see him and we were introduced to his very interesting looking clique, he told us about his little "project" that his father ultimately failed but he chose to improve. 

And Pyrrha was his second contender.

We were hella impressed.

Well.

Most of us.

"Why the hell should we believe any of this?" Yang had no problem lashing out at the grim reaper. "What if you're with Salem?"

"Yang, chill out." Weiss sighed. "Do you honestly thing that that's the case. You do know you're also accusing my sister, right? And also me!" 

My sister looked ready to pounce but Nora prevented her from starting anything. "You guys are saying Pyrrha's...  _alive?"_

Winter smiled. She almost looked sad. "Yes. She has been adjusting to life in this realm and strengthening her abilities."

"Is she here?" 

"No." the shinigami cleared his throat and spoke in a curt, harried manner. "Her recovery has been stationed at my academy. It was  _built_ to train unique warriors such as herself."

I don't normally jump on the hate train but I was not a fan of Death the the Kid. He seemed full of himself and really snobbish. I hated it. 

"Okay???? Like???? Are we supposed to be impressed????" Yang sneered. "How about instead of bragging about your lame ass school, you take us to our friend!" 

Kid stiffened. "That wild tongue of yours will get you killed someday and I see you've already lost an arm. Keep your temper."

"She hasn't even  _started_ to lose it." Weiss snapped. "Keep being a smart ass and you'll see what happens."

"Can we please focus on the important thing?" Nora pleaded. "What did you do to Pyrrha?"

"Oh,  _yes."_ Suddenly the black haired man who ran into me, Nora, and Yang earlier, eagerly leaned forward in his seat. He had a hateful look in his eye as her glanced at Kid. "Tell them about what you've taken from their friend. And to _her._ " He gestured to the raven haired woman on the other couch who was staring at the floor. "To  _Misaki."_

The room went dead silent after that. Everyone looked at the man as if he had killed someone.

"Careful, Izaya." Kid mused and a twisted smirk spread across his face like some sort of incurable sickness. "Don't let your personal feelings affect our deal."

"Go to hell. You don't even know what my personal feelings are. You never even tried to know. Not you and not your dear little daddy. But you better tell those kids. They have a right to know what you and the arbiters are doing and what Salem is actually planning."

"Izaya, watch yourself. Think about what you're doing. What you're  _saying."_

"No." The raven haired woman lifted her face and stared intently at me. "Tell them, Kid. This is important and if anyone should know, it's them. They're Pyrrha's friends."

I looked back at her, trying to understand why she would back us up like that. I had never met her before Was it because she was like Pyrrha? Did Salem hurt her too? 

_No._

I should have been surprised when I heard her voice inside but head but at that point I was honestly too tired to be surprised or even care.  _Just let it happen._

_I hurt myself and that man gave me a second chance. Death the Kid saved me. Decim and Nona saved me. And the saved your friend too. Do not misjudge him. He has suffered just as much as everyone else. He's just a little_ _stubborn._

_Yeah but he's still acting like an asshole,_ that thought slipped and I saw the woman smile a bit.  _Who is that man? The one that talked back to Kid?_

_Izaya Orihara. He got an the academy's radar a while back and Kid is making sure he doesn't get in the way of the project. That's all I should tell you because that's mostly Izaya's business._

Death the Kid was saying something about Pyrrha and reapers or something but I wasn't really listening. I felt like I was gonna get more out of this woman.  _What's your name._

_Chiyuki._

I smiled back at her.  _I'm Ruby._

Her face crinkled in silent laughter.  _Yes I know. Ruby Rose_

I blushed. How come the only girls this pretty at Beacon were mean?  Miss _Chiyuki... how many reapers are there? Is it just you Pyrrha?_

_No. There's Misaki._

_That's right._ I remembered Izaya mentioning her.  _Who is she?_

"Do you understand, Miss Rose?"

I jumped a little when Kid addressed me. I had no idea what I was supposed to understand but I did not think twice about my answer: "I've got it."

"Wonderful! Now... I will let Chiyuki give you and your 'squad' a tour of the center while we figure out why Medusa could have possibly sent you here."

I nodded and looked back at Chiyuki whose gaze had shifted to her phone. She looked like she was texting someone. 

Only moments later, me, Yang, and Nora were back in the room we started in after an interesting but anxious tour. Now we had some to time to process what all had been revealed to us.

"So..." Yang closed the door behind us and slumped onto the nearest couch. "Does someone want to talk to uncle Qrow about his insane secret keeping habit?"

She and Nora started to debate on whether or not we should leave and go find Pyrrha but Weiss must have noticed my lack of vocal input. I felt her hand rest on my leg. It surprised me and I blushed a little. "Yeah?"

"Ruby... are you okay?"

_Of course not_. Nothing made sense. It seemed like every day I was learning about some brand new crazy thing. But this? This was a completely different kind of crazy. This was otherworldly. Literally. 

I smiled. "Yeah! I'm just trying to process all of this."

Weiss slowly lifted her hand up. "Alright." I could tell she didn't believe me but I guess she just didn't want to push me. 

_Pyrrha is alive._

_A woman just spoke to me via_ _telepathy._

_We're in another realm._

"Ruby, what do you think? Should we wait it out?"

I don't know why I wanted to stay. We could have just dashed off, found Pyrrha, and used another gateway to go home, but something was keeping me. It was telling me to stay exactly where I was.

"Yeah. Let's just see what happens from here. Maybe these people will help us." I wasn't really listening anyway. I was staring at the couch where Chiyuki sat just an hour ago. I thought of here dangling black hair and writhing hands.

And I thought of the terrified look in her gentle violet eyes when I asked that question. That question she never answered.

_Just who is Misaki?_

_**********************_

The gate was beautiful. She could feel its power through her bones and she knew what had to be done. 

The destruction of Tokyo was inevitable. 

"Ma'am," Emerald Susterei approached her and bowed. "Tyrian has disposed of Medusa and is tracking down the Vale brats. But we may have a bit of a problem."

_"Problem?"_

Emerald flinched. "Menagerie has sent an army. The White Fang is currently fending them off but I'm not sure how long it will last. When the gate opens, we should probably close it quickly."

"No. Let them cross. Only then will they see the hopelessness of their pathetic cause. That's something they will have in common with the powerless civilians of Tokyo as they are devoured by grim and killed by our men. We have everyone where we want them. Now, Mercury, Hazel... Open the gate." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S BACK  
> BACK AGAIN
> 
> Guys I am soooooooo sorry about my long absence. School got crazy and then my boyfriend decided to break up with me so I've been getting over that. Result: He's a piece of shit HA.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one should be up really soon (I promise this time!)  
> Until next time,  
> Lisa Kay


	11. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tate Pickett warns Chiyuki about the incoming threat from Remnant. Team Goodwitch and Icarus' hunters join the fray. The gate opens and chaos ensues.

**Unknown Number: Hey, professor X! I guess you've ** **already heard from Emilia about** **the storm that's headed our way!** **The gate should open within the hour.** **Rus sends his love but unfortunately can't** **be here for the fire works. Someone has** **to watch over the London gate and** **make sure no one mercs Misaki.** **Not that anyone can lol.**

**Me: How do you keep getting my number? And... Yeah. ** **Emi mentioned something about that.** **I didn't think she wanted our help though. I thought it was more "Don't get in my way or I'll kill you." And I don't know if you've heard but the arbiters and a couple kids from Remnant are here. If Icarus was right all this time and Kid just didn't believe him... that's not gonna go well for him and definitely not his career.**

 

_**One Unread Message** _

 

**Emila: Go to the gate and be ready to fight. She's definitely coming to Tokyo. I've already contacted Kid. **

 

_**One Unread Message** _

 

**Unknown Number: So? :p Bitches get stitches. **

 

******************

There were originally seven gates but after Chiyuki became a reaper, the arbiters placed another one in Tokyo. It was just as beautiful as the rest and took up the entire back wall of the basement, the frame intricately carved with ancient spells and rituals. And instead of another room behind the threshold, there was just a bright violet light that swirled with powerful energy. 

Kid hated seeing Icarus' team of filthy bounty hunters in the same room as his precious hate.  _What the hell was that idiot thinking when he hired these people. I understand Bryn, since he was Icarus' best friend during his Atlas Academy days, but hiring criminals like Tate Pickett and Shanti Omar is a dangerous move._

"This is private property, ladies. You and your friends are walking a thin line, so Icarus better be right."

Shanti Omar rasped through her thick metal mask, "Do not doubt our employer. He is trying to save you."

"Then where the hell is he if he cares so much?"

"Rus is in London," Tate taunted the shinigami, its tail flicking back and forth. "Guess you'll have to wait a few, huh?"

Kid turned to Chiyuki and the arbiters, and thought about apologizing for his absent colleague, but instead he decided to just move on without trying to defend Icarus Thompson. "Do you know who sent the three girls from Remnant? I assume it wasn't Medusa since they didn't come through the actual gate."

"Actually, it was,"Ramona Parker- the youngest of the mercenaries- timidly piped up. "Although there was no time to open an actual gate since the enemy had already arrived. Medusa made a makeshift gate and sent those girl. She figured you'd get the message.... But I guess you are as dense as they say, huh?" She immediately looked guilty. "But maybe not all the time! I don't really know any of you, after all..." 

"Pardon me," everyone was startled when Decim spoke for the first time in several hours. "but as I understand it, there is another reaper in this realm, correct? Why  _isn't_ Salem sending her people to London instead? I know your original plan was to bring her here but it sounds like she's been one step ahead of you for some time now. So why? I assume Miss Reeves is a more interesting reaper to go after." He shyly glanced at Chiyuki, bowing his head. "No offense."

 _None taken._ That was the first time he had looked at her all day and she didn't mind it at all. 

Kid was a little embarrassed after the young arbiter called him out but he couldn't help but respect him on some level. "You make..." he coughed. It was difficult for him to admit. "You make an excellent point, arbiter. A  _very_ excellent point." He glared at the mercenaries. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Salem isn't the kind of person who's gonna grab what she wants right away," Tate smiled as she leered at Kid. "She's trying to scare you. She's trying to scare the entire world with this attack in hopes of getting more people to support her cause." 

"Well, what do you know, shinigami? As it turns out, you don't need my arbiter!" Nona laughed at the pure irony of the situation. "Salem will crush you either way! Shall we take our leave? It seems you have no further use of us."

Kid was speechless for a moment. He was scared. Yes, he was  _terrified._

But he would not lose. "You're not taking that boy anywhere, Nona.  _You,_ however, may see yourself out. The next time we will speak is when you find another reaper candidate."

Nona fumed. "You can't just  _take_ an arbiter! You have no valid reason!"

 _She's got me there,_ Kid admitted his faults to himself but he mostly just wanted to spite Nona. This also was a test on young Chiyuki. How would she react to being around Decim again? Maybe it would improve her pacifistic nature. The grim reaper had always blamed himself for her lack of bravery in battle. "Chiyuki... escort Decim upstairs. Also, when will Emilia-"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled and the violet color of the gate sparked a fiery scarlet. Kid's stomach dropped.

_Shit._

*********************

"You girls have your weapons, right?"

Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Nora's nearly stopped when Winter Schnee barged in the conference room. "You're going to need them."

I gripped Crescent Rose, which was strapped to my side. "Did Cinder find us? Is she here?"

"Not yet. But the gate is opening and that means she's probably on her way. I hate to admit it, but Icarus was right... The gate should open any second. This will be one of the biggest crossings in hundreds of years. Hopefully Team Goodwitch will get here before that happens though."

"Goodwitch?" all four girls echoed. "As in Glynda?"

Winter rolled her eyes. "Don't I wish."

**************************

By the time Team Goodwitch arrived at the Tokyo DWMA center, the earth beneath them was shaking and she could feel the gate's power surging through the bottom of her feet. 

And when they got to the gate, Emilia immediately regretted coming to help once her eyes fell on the shinigami's relieved smile. 

"Maybe we should let this city fall, along with the shinigami," she muttered to Hisa Kagami. 

"Come now, Emi..." Hisa cooed. "Maybe he'll die in combat. There's no point in losing hope no matter what happens. He'll die eventually"

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Death the Kid's smile fell and he whined. He whined like an infant.

Emilia imagined his head on a pike. It made her feel better. 

**************************

_Before we move on, there's something you should probably know._

_Emilia Goodwitch is **not** her sister. Glynda may be strict but she's selfless at heart at has good intentions._

_If I were to pick only one word to describe Emilia it would be "ambitious," and because of this, she's possibly one of the most evil people I've ever known. She destroys everything and everyone in her path to get what she wants and the only reason she never joined Salem is because she knew there was no way of becoming that strong. At least not when she was alive._

_Emilia's goal has always been to become more powerful and she picked to weakest superior. During her time as a warrior at the academy, she just circled Kid like a wild dog, baring her fangs and snarling, waiting for the opportune moment to strike._

_But bratty as he was, Kid wasn't stupid. He knew Emilia's methods._

_Perhaps that's why he was able to fend her off for as long as he did._

_Before he cracked._

*************************

When I saw Pyrrha, I didn't know what to say. She looked so....so....

 _Dead?_ Chiyuki teased but I ignored.

She looked so changed. Her eyes were still that same emerald green but they had darkened with time and experience. 

Also, Pyrrha didn't have wings before. I thought it was pretty awesome. But still.

She looked  _off._

Nora ran to hug her. She didn't hesitate. No even for a second. 

But I still couldn't move. 

_Is it... really her? But I saw it happen. I saw her die._

As she embraced Nora, she looked up at me and smiled. 

"Hello, Ruby." 


	12. The First Crossing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Icarus meets with Sirzechs Lucifer Gremory. Cinder, Jaune, Qrow, Ren, Black, and Oscar cross the gate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Am I passin' into the light?  
> Am I looking into mercy's eyes?   
> All the world is out of your hands  
> Then ascending into the dark,   
> You got to die a little if you wanna live  
> Change come to pass  
> You'd best be ready for it."  
> Let Me Out by the Gorillaz

There weren't a lot of people that disliked Icarus Thompson. He was beloved pretty much everywhere, especially in London, and when he arrived at the Gremory's estate, Sirzechs Lucifer was ecstatic to see him. 

"Well, look at you! How long has it been? Three months? Four? I thought Remnant had stolen you away from us!"

Icarus grinned sheepishly. "Well... they were attacked, Zechs. And me and my brother were born there, so helping them felt like the right thing to do."

Sirzechs Lucifer pat him on the back and gestured towards one of the many hallways inside the grandeur mansion. "You've always had a good spirit, Rus! I don't think Rias would ever drop everything she's doing with her team and leave realms like that! There aren't enough people like you!"

"Yeah I guess so." It made Icarus uncomfortable any time someone flattered him too much. He also didn't appreciate being compared to other people, especially Rias Gregory of all people. She was a different kind of fantastic, if Icarus was even that much. "Listen, Sirzechs... as much as I missed all of you, I did come on business."

"Oh?" Sirzechs pulled Icarus into the sitting room, clearly just half listening. "What ridiculous errand has the shinigami sent you on this time. Honestly, sometimes I think he works you too hard! You deserve some sort of vacation, right?" He walked behind the mini bar sitting next to the couch Icarus was on and looked at him questioningly. "Brandy?"

"N-no thank you. Just water. And I don't think I really need to get away or anything. I appreciate the thought though. Anyway, Kid didn't send me. While I was in Remnant, my friend Bryn Violet discovered something about Salem's intentions. She's using Haven to get to their-"

"I know!" Sirzechs sat down next to Icarus, once again gazing at him intently. "How about you come here for the summer or something? I'm sure Rias wouldn't mind and Misaki always loves company. You know no one really comes down here to see her these days."

 _Damnit. Of course he'd pull out that card._ Icarus could almost weasel his way out of any situation he did not want to be in, but there were only a couple of things that could change his mind. And one of them was Misaki Reeves. And Icarus knew Sirzechs loved her just as much as he loved Rias, but it was not cool to use her like that. 

_"Seriously, Zechs? You know Icarus doesn't just come here to be pestered by you, right?"_

Icarus turned around to see none other than Rias Gremory standing, hand on her hip, in the doorway. She wore a disgusted scowl and its attitude matched the fiery red color of her long crimson hair.  _Oh._ "H-hey, Rias."

She ignored him and just walked towards her brother. "Did you even bother asking him why he's here in the first place, brother? Or are you just planning on torturing him with your incessant yammering and unwanted invitations? He has a family and a team that are far more important than us."

"Um, I don't think any of you are necessarily  _unimportant,_ but I do need to-"

Rias suddenly looked right at him and smiled. "Icarus, why don't you tell my brother why you're really here?" She glared at Sirzechs, who looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it. "Keep your mouth shut."

As soon as he had Sirzech's full attention, he shared every piece of information he and Bryn gathered on Salem's next attack. "The gate in Tokyo will be opening soon," he concluded. "I came here just to make sure she doesn't try anything, but I think all of you are safe for now."

"Tokyo..." Sirzechs frowned. "Why there? Chiyuki isn't a very powerful reaper and Orihara isn't a very threatening leader... so why? Is she just playing with us?"

Icarus nodded. "That's what me and the girls thought. It makes sense to eliminate weaker figures like Izaya and Chiyuki, then to start with you or Kid."

_"Eliminate?"_

Absolute silence filled the space after a new, fierce presence entered the room.  

_"What do you mean by that, Rus?"_

"Misaki..." Icarus smiled feebly but he knew he had already worried her. "It's been a while, right? How've you been, sweetheart?"

_Stupid. There's no point in asking that. She's the same as always-trapped and upset. You know that._

She didn't answer his question. Of course she didn't. Not when there was someone far more important to discuss. 

_"What is that bitch going to do to Izaya?"_

***********************

_**"CINDER!"** _

As soon as Jaune saw her face, all pleasant emotions were gone. He just wanted to kill her. He wanted to make her pay for what she did to Beacon. To Penny. To  _Pyrrha._

And she had the nerve to look  _bored._ "Oh.. it's you, isn't it? That kid..." 

"Kid, I don't know what you're thinking but you need to get a grip!" Qrow held him back. "The gate is almost open!"

Sure enough, there was a giant swirling pool or violent, purple light emitting sparks and black rose petals. It looked... evil. 

"What the hell is that?"

Cinder smirked. "Beautiful, isn't it? This is the gateway to unlimited power and protection. And thanks to its help, Salem is going to have more people bending down to her will. To  _my_ will." 

"You're  _sick."_ Oscar spat. "How can you say all of that with a straight face?"

"Stop it," Blake stepped in front of the boy and aimed Gamble Shroud at Cinder's head. "She's not going to listen to reason or feel sorry for any one of us."

"What a smart little kitty you are," Cinder purred. "It's no wonder Adam took a liking to you. Now... which one of you flies should I destroy first? Or maybe I should just let the gate-"

**"You talk too fucking much."**

It confounded and impressed everyone when the typically quiet Lie Ren not only said something completely out of character but also took a huge leap towards Cinder, catching her off guard, and slicing Stormflower right through.

That is, right through her projection. 

"What?" The group looked in disbelief and watched as what they thought was Cinder Fall turn into Emerald Sustrai. And the gate's color turned from purple to a pearly white, and the violent winds turned eerily peaceful. 

Emerald smirked. "You're too late."

Cinder had already crossed the gate. 

*******************************

Seeing Cinder again almost made me vomit. I hated her and I'm pretty that's something I had in common with literally everyone else in the room. Especially Pyrrha.

"Well, well, well...." She, Mercury, and Tyrian circled us like vultures. All of them had a murderous glint in their eye. And Cinder looked the hungriest. She pointed at Pyrrha. "I thought I killed you... I guess I'll have to try harder, huh... And you...." She looked at me and I suddenly felt very afraid, even though I knew I was being protected by some of the most strong people in this realm. Also Weiss and Yang. But still. The way Cinder looked at me... I felt so helpless. "You took my eye. If it weren't for you, I would be stronger!" She grabbed the bow on her back but before she could aim, Pyrrha jumped in front of all of us, screaming.

_**"Heaven's light!"** _

The room filled with a light so blinding, it physically hurt. I couldn't see anyone. But I could hear them. They were screaming. And not just Cinder or Mercury. Yang. Weiss. Kid. Chiyuki. All the bounty hunters. Everyone. 

 _This light...._ It was a lot like my silver eye power.  _What did they do to you, Pyrrha?_

When the ringing in my ears stopped, I slowly opened my eyes and saw that Cinder and Pyrrha were fighting. And fighting alongside Pyrrha was a man with dark skin and black hair.  _Is that black blood?_ Whatever it was, he was hardening it into multiple weapons and hurling them at Cinder.

"Ruby! Come on, we need to go!" Weiss grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the exit. "Mr. Orihara says it might already be too late!"

"Too late for what?"

"Didn't you hear her?" One of the mercenaries-Tate-helped us get to the back. "You and your friends need to help the people out there! She's created several makeshift gates so the grim can get in! You need to  _go!_ This fight is beyond you. Follow Izaya and the ghoul. We've got this!"

Which is funny, because as soon as Tate said that, Mercury kicked him in the back, causing me to quickly run away.

"How many grim are out there?" I whispered to Chiyuki as we made our way up the stairs.

"I...." she looked at Izaya for help but he just shrugged.

"We only know what Icarus told us," he said. "There's no telling how many Salem actually unleashed. We just have to prepare for the worst because that's probably what it will be."

The female arbiter-Nona-looked infuriated. "You can think this is funny, Orihara? Do you want to die today?"

"No," Izaya placed his hand on the scanner of the door that lead to the main lobby. "Of course not."

*************************

The last thing Pyrrha expected was Qrow Branwen leaping though the gate, right into Tyrian's chest.

He grinned. "Remember me, punk?"

"How?" Cinder glowered as four more people entered the gate. Blake, Oscar, Ren, and-

_"Pyrrha?"_

It was Jaune. She couldn't believe it. Why was he there? This was dangerous. Too dangerous for him.

"What the hell's wrong with Kid?" Qrow gestured to the comatose grim reaper.

Emilia Goodwitch laughed. "He couldn't take Pyrrha's attack. Isn't that fucking hilarious?" 

"Everybody,  **quiet!** " Cinder blared. "There's too many of you talking at once and it's honestly really fucking annoying! So just keel over and die already!" She shot fire at Pyrrha but Jaune quickly jumped in front of her, blocking the fire with his shield.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried, desperately trying to push him out of the way but he held his ground. "Get out of the way. She'll kill you!"

He didn't respond. Instead, he ran towards Cinder, screaming and getting ready to stick his sword right in her black heart.

But instead of feeling the blade sink into her flesh, everything stopped. His feet were melded to through the ground. They were stuck in some sort of black liquid.

He immediately recognized the man who jumped in front of him. 

_"Who're you? I'm busy?"_

_"Slow down. What woman? What's your name?_

It was the man Jaune met during the fall of Beacon. He was the first adult he spoke to about Cinder's betrayal and the awful choice Pyrrha made.

"Get back, kid!" The man pleaded. "You don't stand a chance!"

 _No._ This was his fight. He had to help Pyrrha. He couldn't let her die again. And that meant Cinder had to go. And Jaune was the one that had to do it.  _I should never have let Pyrrha go up there alone. I have to defend her. I can't leave her again. Not ever._

_She should never have agreed to be a maiden. She would never have gone back up that tower._

"Do you hear me? Leave!"

_I hate Cinder. Why the hell did this guy get in my way? Of course I can take her. I don't even need a fucking sword. I'll kill her with my bare hands._

"Jaune, listen to Max!"

_I'll choke her. I'll hit her. I'll make her scream. Make her_ _bleed. I'll kill her._

"Jaune!"

_I'LL KILL-_

_**Jaune.**  
_

Suddenly he felt himself falling.

But she was there. She caught him. 

"Pyrrha?"

She was just as beautiful as he remembered.

And she smiled.

God, the way she smiled.

"Jaune..." she tucked his hair behind his ear and held him closer. "I want to tell you everything right now but we need to leave. Max can handle Cinder. We need to help the people outside, do you understand?"

"Yeah." He wanted to cry. He missed her so much. "Lead the way."

As soon as everyone was out of the room, Max looked at Cinder. "I am sorry. I do not want to fight you. And I especially do not want to kill you."

Cinder laughed. "What? Is that pity in your eyes? What kind of a weakling are you? If you don't want to kill me, then what is it you actually want?"

"I want to help you," Max said softly. "I don't really believe that any person is irredeemable. And whatever Salem did to you that made you this twisted... I want to stop it so you won't hurt any more people."

She couldn't help it. She shrieked and howled in glee. "You're absolutely hilarious! If you weren't my enemy, I might keep you! But unfortunately..." Fire wrapped around her fingers and she felt the wind she summoned swirl in the air. "My intent is to kill you."

He shrugged and unsheathed the knife by his side, and sliced his neck open.

Cinder flinched and watched, horrified. "What in God's..."

He coated his entire neck in the black blood and she saw it creep up his face and pile up on top of his head until two tall black horns formed. 

"I'm sorry," his eyes turned yellow and he carved open both of his arms. Two black swords formed. "If I kill you, I am so sorry." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I'm so glad I'm making a dent in this fic! I really want to finish it tomorrow but I'll make no promises! I can promise that it will be finished within the week!  
> Also, don't be afraid to leave comments! I really want to know what you guys think and who your favorite characters are! Icarus is one of my favorites and I love even MENTIONING Misaki since there's a ton of shit going on with her, so I hope you guys liked getting a sneak peek of her!
> 
> Love you guys,  
> Lisa Kay


	13. Take Me Out to The Ball Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Among the grim filled Tokyo, Emerald tries to find Mercury so they can escape through one of Salem's makeshift gates, but not everything goes according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short but I think this one segment works best as a standalone.

The streets of Tokyo were teeming with grim. and people were screaming and desperately trying to escape it. But unlike those pathetic civilians, Emerald Susterai knew what the creatures were like. After all, she grew up in the same realm with them unlike these people. 

But she needed to find Mercury. He ran out as soon as everyone recovered from Pyrrha's attack.

 _Pyrrha..._ How the hell was she alive? What kind of twisted shit was this realm into?  _What is Cinder not telling us? Or did she not even know? She did look really surprised._

Emerald didn't care for Salem. But Cinder saved her. And honestly, it didn't matter what Emerald knew or didn't. In the end, she'd do whatever it would take to please Cinder. 

 _Would you?_ A doubtful thought crossed her mind. And regardless of its intentions, she hated that she even thought those words.  _Of course I would._

Suddenly, Emerald heard the most hideous, ghastly scream she had ever heard in her entire life. And then again. Again. And again.

 _I can't wait till this is over,_ she walked down the alleyway where she heard the scream, but it was also the only cover from grim she could find.  _Then maybe I can get a job or something and-_

Her heart stopped. 

_Oh my god._

A singular metal leg was lying on the ground. The stump was bloody.

_No. No way._

It couldn't be.

_Is it?_

She walked faster, feeling admittedly a little frightened. 

She stopped.

There was the other one. And laying next to it was a hand separated from its arm. It air reeked of human blood and flesh.

Emerald was shaking. She didn't want to believe it.  _Please tell me it's not him. Please._

**"Were you his friend?"**

Eyes nearly bugging out of her skull, Emerald looked up to see that a streetlight had suddenly been turned on.

Mercury's head was mounted on it. And standing in the crimson soaked light was just a girl. A girl with oversized glasses and short pink hair. And in her petite arms she cradled a black baseball bat, its pink handle glinting. 

Emerald slowly took a step backward.  _fuck fuck fuck fuck what the fuck (did she do this????) what the actual fuck (no fucking way) fuck oh my god please don't fucking kill me (please) oh god please don't (why?) why would she (what did he do?) oh my fucking god (please don't) I am begging you_

"C-Cinder...." Emerald fell on her knees and felt the tears pour down her face. She couldn't feel anything but fear. "Please help me..."

The girl began to walk toward Emerald. 

"Stay away from me! Don't come any closer! You're fucking crazy! Please..." she felt the will to fight drain away.  _There's no point._ She placed her head in her heads and sobbed.  _She's going to kill me._

Emerald felt the girl's bloody hands on her chin. She shuddered and refused to look her in the eye.

 **"Why won't you look?"** the girl whispered.  **"Do you hate me? I'm sorry. I messed up again, didn't I?"**

"Please don't touch me," Emerald tried to escape the girl's grasp, but her grip just tightened to where it was difficult to breathe. Emerald moaned,  _"Please leave me alone."_

**"Let's start over. I'm Ramona Parker. What's your name?"**

_It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Wake up. Wake the **fuck** up. _

Her bottom lip trembled. "Em-Emerald Susterai."

**"Emerald Susterai, why are you helping bad people?"**

_What?_ "I'm bad? B-but you k-killed Mer-Mercury! You  _mutilated_ him!"

 **"Hm?"** Ramona glanced over at Mercury's disfigured head and her eyes widened.  **"Oh, I'm sorry. He was your friend, wasn't he? I didn't mean to. Master Icarus just told us to kill anyone who gets in our way."**

"Icarus? The famous Atlas pr-prodigy?" Emerald winced when Ramona's grip grew even tighter. "I can't... I can't breathe. Please stop." 

_Please._

Ramona stroked Emerald's cheek with her other hand. "Okay." 

Emerald was relieved when the grip loosened and she smiled nervously. "Thank y-" Her head twisted all the way around and she collapsed on the ground.

_Cinder.... I'm sorry._

Ramona picked up Emerald Susterai's weapon and placed it on her chest. She wiped away the tears that had started to fall. 

"I'm sorry. I really am. But you let your guard down. You shouldn't do that. Not around me, anyway."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Off with your head  
> Dance 'til you're dead  
> Heads will roll on the floor."  
> -Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs  
> (Sorry,not sorry :p)  
> Also:  
> Ramona: You ready to fucking die?  
> Emerald: Yeah? I'm a bad bitch, you can't kill me!
> 
> (Ramona's my favorite bounty hunter. Fight me.)


	14. Into The Fray I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY and JNPR reunite and help the others defend Tokyo from Grimm, leaving Qrow and Winter to fight Tyrian, and Max to fight Cinder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Reign supreme  
> In your dreams  
> You’ll never make me bow  
> Kick my ass?  
> I'm world-class  
> And Super Saiyan now"  
> -"I Burn" by Jeff Williams, Casey Williams, and Lamar Hall (RWBY VOLUME ONE OST)

Tyrian was following us. He scrambled up the stairs in desperation, screaming like some sort of wounded animal. It made me sick.

Thankfully, he was slower than the last time we met, so me, Yang, Weiss, and Blake were able to make it to the door to the lobby before him. The people there were still in a hurry, but it was a different kind of urgency. 

They were running for their lives. 

I could hear the Grimm howling. The humans were screaming.

It was just like that day. 

That horrible day. 

Qrow and Winter ushered us through, getting ready to confront the scorpion Faunus. 

"You kids go find Chiyuki or Emilia! Hell, even Izaya or one of those bounty hunters! They know this town, so stick to them for cover!" 

"Okay," I acknowledged Qrow and looked at the rest of my team. "Are you guys ready?"

Blake and Yang took arms, and there was a fierce look in their eyes. They were angry. So was I. 

But Weiss was still looking at her sister. "Winter..."

Winter Schnee gave her younger sibling a smug and confident look. "I will see you later, Weiss. Don't forget your training. Stand your ground. Keep your guard up. The family name is at stake." She smiled. "I love you." 

"Ladies, we're not powdering our noses here! We have to get moving!" Tate Pickett was full of impatience. "You're lucky Ramona went after Cinder's lackeys or else we'd just have more to deal with. Now, come on... the angel needs your help, right?"

* * *

Team JNPR was back. Pyrrha was back. So despite the burning town and scattered Grimm, Jaune considered it to be a pretty good day. 

Sort of. 

_"Space Cadet, get your head the fuck out of the sky and pay the fuck attention!"_

He jerked out of his thoughts and dodged a Beowulf that had just decided to lunge at him, giving Nora room to leap into the hair and smash its skull with Magnhild. 

Scared out of his mind- and not of the Grimm- he slowly turned around to face the vehement Emilia Goodwitch. 

"Nikos, what the shit is wrong with this idiot?" She grabbed a Borbatusk by the throat and snapped its neck, still glaring at Jaune. 

"She's a little busy!" Hisa Kagami seemed to obliterate every Grimm in her path but Jaune wasn't sure how. She didn't have any weapons, she could just  _look_ at a Grimm at it would tear at the seams, eventually bursting in blood and matted black fur.

Jaune was really feeling the nickname "Vomit Boy" all of a sudden.  _What the hell **are** these people? Seriously, they're not even trying. Emilia's using her bare freaking hands. And Pyrrha...._

Pyrrha was flying. She was flying among the Nevermores, taking them down with blasts of light from Milo. And she was  _smiling._ She looked free.

_But is she really?_

* * *

 

Chiyuki had twenty three missed calls from Kaneki and four from Touka. 

 _Shit._ She had to get to Anteiku. Nothing else mattered. But there was one problem: 

Decim. 

She had not seen the white haired arbiter since all of them had quickly made their escape from the Center's Gate, leaving Max and Cinder to fight. She wondered if he and Nona had already gone back to the arbitrary realm. But there was no way. The gate was already open and it was being used for something far more sinister. Chiyuki still couldn't believe all those poor girls had just been thrown into this mess. They were children. They didn't need to be defending the world. 

_Neither do I._

But there she was. 

So why? 

_Why me?_

* * *

 

Cinder attacked without hesitation.  _Who cares if he cuts his own throat like some sort of deranged freak? I'll kill him_ _anyway._ She raised her arms up, summoning fire, and thrust it at her horned opponent.

The man dodged it, his only reaction being a slight raise of his eyebrows. 

That pissed her off.  _Take this more seriously, you-_

Suddenly, he was behind her. 

"You act quickly," he muttered, raised his twin blades, and brought them down, only for them to clash with hers.

 _Damn, he's fast. What the hell kind of monster is he?_ Cinder struggled to keep a hold on her grip and she sent more fire to the blades of her swords, but they didn't affect the man's black blood weapons at all. Frustrated, she went with something predictable.

An orange and black circle appeared beneath her adversary's feet. His bright, clueless yellow eyes remained fixated on her.

_Idiot._

The circle exploded in fiery dust and stone. It would have thrown anyone to the other side of the room. 

But he didn't even flinch. He didn't even blink. 

Instead, he sighed and pushed Cinder into the wall behind her with an unbelievable amount of force. And when she hit the floor, it just irritated her.

"You..." she grunted, pulling herself back up. "What are you? How are you immune to my attack?"

The man crushed one of his swords with his hand and it turned into a hand gun, but cut himself again, which caused the one sword he had left to grow larger in size. He calmly looked up at her with that same merciful gaze. "Why are you doing this?"

 _Oh my fucking God._ "What the hell does it matter to you? You don't know me. We're not even from the same realm. So why don't you cut the therapy..." Cinder charged at the man- the  _enemy_ \- and focused all of her maiden powers on his heart. "-and drown in your own disgusting blood!"

He was enveloped in fire and smoke, and she thrust the dagger in his chest.  _Finally. I've got-_

"You're too irrational."

 _Huh?_ Cinder was suddenly filled with panic. He was still unfazed. The only thing that affected him was the ash, which was smeared on his face. And her sword...

His black blood had hardened around Cinder's weapon. Frustrated, she pulled at it, and the handle broke off. The blade was still in her foe's chest. It had to be. But she couldn't see it because his wound had healed completely. 

"Now..." He cricked his neck and his yellow eyes glinted. "To answer your question, I'm Maximum Thompson. I was born in the kingdom of Vale and brought to this realm shortly after I graduated Beacon Academy. My father was one of the first shinigami's most trusted agents. And like I said before, I'm not here to kill you. I don't want that. But if it comes down to it, you'll have to die. My semblance is quite powerful, you know. Of course, I'm not trying to brag or anything," He shrugged. "I'm sure yours is cool too."

 _Thompson?_ Where had Cinder heard that name? "You're really convinced that you can defeat me?"

"Yeah." He said without hesitation. "But that doesn't mean I want to."

"You don't make any sense. I'm your enemy! You're supposed to kill your enemy! Even those pathetic huntsmen and huntresses know that! And if you're so confident about winning..." Cinder held her arms out, getting ready to let out everything she had. "Come and kill me."

* * *

 

Of course my team had to fight alongside Izaya Orihara and the bounty hunters. All eight of us defended the Shinjuku district. That is, if you would call Izaya flinging knives at Gysts and cackling "defensive." 

And was Tate a Faunus? I couldn't tell. He had possum ears and a tail, but used some weird illusion magic. And Shanti Omar was a really scary, badass shot. And Ramona...

She was covered in blood. Human blood. Said she "took care of some bad people."

She scared me. 

"Checkmate!" Even though I was studying the people around me, I made sure to keep my guard up. Grimm were everywhere and no gates were closing. Things weren't looking great. No matter how many Grimm we killed, more just showed up. It was like some terrifying loop dream sequence. I just wanted to wake up.

"Hey, shorty!"

Annoyed, I glanced in Izaya's direction. "What?"

He tossed me his scroll. Are they called scrolls in this realm? I still haven't figured it out. I held it up to my ear. "Yeah?"

"Hey, kiddo."Qrow sounded hoarser than usual and a little choked.

"Uncle Qrow! Are you okay? Where are you and Winter? Is Tyrian dead?"

"Ruby... I'm with JNPR and Goodwitch. We've cleared this area. I need you and the others to make your way back. We're still trying to figure out how to close all of these gates and at this point... Tokyo's mostly gone."

I glanced out at all of the ravaged buildings on fire and limp bodies scattered in the street. "Okay. We're on our way."

"Oh, and Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

Qrow sounded very tired. "Put Weiss on, will you?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry :(
> 
> (also fight scenes are not my strength so I'm sorry if things get confusing. I will definitely go back and edit stuff at some point)  
> And Max's semblance is NOT Yang's. He doesn't get stronger after each attack, it just doesn't do anything to him.


	15. Into The Fray II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Yang have a talk. Chiyuki joins her forces and the arbiters at Anteiku. Max and Cinder's fight comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Go where you need to  
> Know I won't leave you  
> I'll follow you like morning follows night  
> You can run 'till your pain's through  
> One thing I won't do is to let you go  
> Alone to face the fight"  
> -"Like Morning Follows Night" by Jeff Williams, Casey Williams, and Lamar Hall (RWBY VOL 4 OST)

Winter Schnee was dying and I had never seen Weiss look so helpless and crushed before. And I understood. Winter was probably the only family that really understood her.

"Qrow, what happened?" I walked up to my uncle while Weiss sat by her sister's side, talking to her, trying to delay the inevitable. 

"That guy... Tyrian... we almost had him. He was even  _injured._ But he had a brand new tail- it was Atlas tech stuff, like Mercury's legs. And there's a much more deadly poison inside of it. Before I could do anything...." He shook his head. "I don't even know how it happened, but... it did. We just let our guard down because he was already injured, and he managed to escape through one of the makeshift gates."

I put a hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly. "It's not your fault. It's his. It's Salem's."

I could tell Qrow definitely wasn't feeling any better about it but for my sake, faked a grin and pat me on the head. "Thanks, kiddo. You're always looking out for me, aren't you?" 

"Yeah," I decided to drop it but I still carefully watched him as he walked up to Weiss and Winter, offering sympathetic words and caring gestures. But n _ot as much as you've been there for me._

* * *

She was about to summon the maiden's power. He had not expected her to wait this long to go all out. Once again, she had surprised him. But there was the issue of her stubbornness and consistent attacks. 

But she didn't know that it was useless. His semblance and the black blood- the result of his father's experiments on him- had made him nearly indestructible. 

_The only person that has ever defeated me is Icarus. And no offense Cinder Fall, but maiden or not, you're nowhere near his level of strength._

A twister of fire, ice, and wind made its way toward him and he smiled, feeling a little sorry for his opponent. 

_No one is._

He always felt attacks. They just didn't affect him the way they would affect anyone else. So of course after Cinder threw everything she had at him, he was in pain for a few seconds. 

_If I were someone weaker like Hisa or one of those little huntresses, it would have killed me. She has talent. However, her morality and attitude are more than a little skewed._

Threw the cloud of ash and sparks, Max Thompson could see Cinder Fall drop to the ground. She was running out of aura. He took a step forward, but he realized that was a mistake when her slumped face shot up, pure anger in her eyes. She screamed, reaching one of her gloved hands out and it stretched.

Max blinked.  _Is that-_

Her left arm was Grimm. It stretched out across the room at a furious pace until its claws were dug deep in Max's chest.

 **"Just _die!"_  **She screamed again, barely managing to stand.  **"Why is it so hard? What the hell is wrong with you? Just let me kill-"** Her eyes widened in even more shock when Max casually pulled the hand out and chopped it off with one of his knives. 

It was written all over her face. She knew the battle was over. But she was too stubborn to admit it in any way.  _Maybe that's why I haven't killed her. Her will is astonishing. Most people would have surrendered by now. But this woman..._ _  
_

She was running toward him again, this time with just her weapon, a scimitar, and raising it above her head, still looking proudly frenzied.  **"You're in my way! You're in my way! You're in my way! Move. Move. Move. Move or I'll-"**

Nothing really phased Max anymore. Not after his time on Remnant. Not after his father's experiments. 

She was only a few inches away from him with no mercy in her eyes at all. Only hate. 

He plowed the knife in her side.

Only fear. 

She coughed. Blood trickled out of the side of her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes. 

Then there was only regret.

* * *

 "Hey... I thought you were hiding somewhere. Do you mind if I sit down?"

Yang Xiao Long didn't know it was possible to feel extremely happy but also incredibly sad at the same time. 

Thankfully, team RWBY was able to make it back to the Tokyo Center in one piece. All of the makeshift gates in that area were closed thanks to the help of a local gang called The Dollars. And a lot of civilians were unharmed. But Yang couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for running away. Sure, there were other professionals out there, but the Grimm were from her world. She almost felt guilty.

So she decided to gather her thoughts and found an unoccupied room, where she rested next to a window that overlooked the city. 

And Blake. 

Blake was there. She was standing right in front of Yang, looking as gloomy as ever. 

Blake. 

"Y-yeah... go for it." 

The Faunus shed an unsure smile and sat next to Yang. 

At first, there was just silence as the two girls looked out of the window, staring at the mangled Tokyo. There were still hundreds of flickering gates, and even more Grimm. 

"Yang, I'm sorry." Blake broke the silence. "I'm sorry I ran. I'm sorry I didn't stay. I wanted to. I just... I didn't want you to get hurt again. So I went off by myself. And it sucks. I know it does." Her voice was strained. She was crying. "Luckily Sun followed me and he made me realize that I didn't have to be alone. I shouldn't have done it. I should've stayed, Yang. But I was scared. I was-"

"It's okay."

What Yang said must have surprised Blake because she started crying even harder. "But your arm... you must have gone through so much pain and I was a  _coward!"_

Yang put her arm around Blake and pulled her closer. "Yeah. You were. But I get it. It took me a while to understand but I know you were just trying to protect me. I forgive you, Blake. You're my teammate and I love you. Nothing will change that." She buried her face in Blake's hair, realizing how much she missed her. "Nothing."

* * *

There was one thing Ramona Parker didn't prepare for and that was Emerald Sustrai's semblance. 

When the mercenary was gone, Emerald emerged from behind an advertisement board for some animation and sighed in relief. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. 

_Hoy shit... That was really fucking close. She actually could have killed me. Luckily, I got away._

But she could not say the same for Mercury. 

Her stomach contracted and she barely stopped herself from throwing up.  _The smell... That woman destroyed him. Did Icarus Thompson really hire someone like her?_

Emerald didn't know much about the Atlas protege but she never heard any stories about him working with particularly malicious people. 

Suddenly, the young huntress heard a gunshot heard a gunshot that was too close to her for her to take any chances. She had to leave. But she couldn't go back to the Tokyo Center. Cinder had probably beaten that emo looking kid by now and killed the Winter Maiden and the shinigami. And after that, the plan was to go back to Salem. 

 _Cinder..._ She looked up at the disturbingly clear sky and hoped that her teacher was out of harm's way.  _I'll see you soon._

* * *

Chiyuki didn't know how, but Anteiku along with most of the surrounding buildings were untouched.  _I guess I have to thank whatever witch Kid hired to cast this protection spell._

A glowing blue sphere surrounded to Anteiku district, and whatever Grimm ran in, evaporated. But it would not last for long. It flickered every ten minutes or so, and one would get in, leaving it to one of the ghouls inside. 

"Kaneki!" Chiyuki called to her friend, who was one of the ghouls protecting the sphere. 

The half-human half-ghoul looked mildly irritated as he met Chiyuki's eye, flinging his kagune at a Beowolf. "Chi, we've gotta protect the cafe! Those arbiters are inside and something tells me this Salem lady wants em real bad!"

The ghoul reaper felt anger fester inside her, and she knew her right eye was changing. The iris turned red and the sclera black. Her veins were pumping. 

_Decim._

Thin violet needles started to protrude from her back. All mercy left her soul. 

_Decim._

She ignored Kaneki's cheers and slowly walked toward a pack of fierce Ursa. 

_Mom._

She was tired. Tired of everything the shinigami made her do. She just wanted to go back home and be with her mother and live a peaceful life.

_Mom._

She wanted to go back to him. To the Quindecim. She wanted to be truly happy again, happy with the people she loved. 

_Decim._

_Mom._

The needles flew at the Grimm. They ripped their soulless black skin to pieces.

_Don't take them from me._

She screamed and howled at the monsters,  **"This place is mine. This place is mine. I won't let you hurt it. I WON'T LET YOU!"**

She was tired.

She was sad.

She was

The needles grew in size as they bulged out of her spine. 

_It hurts. It hurts so much._

She was

_It hurts all over. I don't want to fight. I don't like it. But this is their fault. It's all their fault. It's all **her** fault._

_Salem._

She was  **hungry.**

* * *

I never left Weiss' side. Not once. Even with Winter drew her last breath. 

I never left.

I stayed with her as she sobbed. As she moaned and screamed. 

It was painful to hold her back as some DWMA officials carried her body away. 

It was awful. I didn't like to see Weiss hurt like this. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to  **do.**

"It should have been me."

"No, don't say that."

"She didn't deserve this! She deserved an honorable death, in her own world, kicking and screaming!"

"I know. I'm so sorry, Weiss."

"I.... I  **loved** her. She was the only one I really loved."

"I know, but... you've got me too, Weiss. I love you. So does Blake and so does Yang. We're all here for you."

She had no response. She was beyond words at that point. She just cried. Looking back on it, I know that was all she could do. 

Because Winter was gone. The only family member that ever cared for her was just... gone. 

I hated Salem. I hated Cinder. I even hated Death the Kid for getting us caught up in his stupid reaper project bullshit. 

Why couldn't things just go back to the way they were? Why couldn't Pyrrha be a complete person again? Why couldn't Salem just  _deal_ with Remnant the way it was?

"Why can't we just be  **happy** again?" At that point, I had started to cry, holding Weiss in my arms, our faces buried in each other's shoulders.  _"Why?"_

That question would haunt me only for a little while longer. The answers I needed were never in Remnant. Or in Tokyo.

They were with  _her._

I felt myself grow extremely dizzy with every shaky breath I took. I was exhausted. 

_"Ruby!"_

I felt myself falling. Down and down. 

_"Kiddo! Hey, somebody get a stretcher or something!"_

I could barely speak. "Uncle... Uncle Qrow?"

_"It's gonna be okay, kiddo. Everything's gonna be fine."_

"Qrow... tell Weiss I'm s-sorry... It's my fault. It's all my fault."

_"Don't you dare say a thing like that! It's my fault Winter died. We should have been more careful. **Did you people hear me? My niece is sick!"**_

_"There's something going on outside! A chopper just landed!"_

_"Is that the Gremory insignia?"_

It was difficult to breathe. I could still hear Weiss crying. "W-Weiss...."

_"You dolt! Why do you care about everyone but yourself? How could you be so selfless, Ruby?"_

_I'm sorry._ My throat was so dry. I needed water. I needed to rest. But I wanted to protect her. 

"Weiss, I'm.... I'm..." My eyes started to flutter.  _No. Don't do this. She needs you._

_"Why, this is quite the problem... Qrow, what in the hell are those girls doing here?"_

_"Icarus, thank the gods! Where the hell have you been? Please... can you get my niece and some of the injured onboard? They need a hospital!"_

_"Actually.... **we'll** be taking her."_

The last thing I saw before I completely passed out was Weiss' terrified and worried expression.

_"Don't you **dare** die, Ruby!"_

_"Ma'am, please go get your other teammates and come with us."_

_"Don't you **dare!** "_

* * *

Cinder Fall was still breathing. Max made sure that was the case. He steadied her condition by blocking some of the blood flow with his own cursed black blood. And he carried her up the stairs, making sure he didn't worsen her condition.

One of his brother's mercenaries-Shanti Omar-was waiting for him at the top of the staircase. 

Her pale green eyes widened when she saw the nearly dead fall maiden. "You spared her.... why?"

Max looked at Cinder's face. The mask had shattered, unveiling the massive scar where her left eye used to be. Why _did_ he do it? He was not sure. All he knew was that he didn't like to kill people. Especially when they were so skilled. But was that the only reason?

He shrugged. "She has information on Salem that could be useful. Also..." Max smiled a little, finding the idea a bit far fetched himself. "Maybe she could be a powerful ally."

Shanti emitted what Max assumed to be a laugh out of that cage-like mask of hers. "You've always been such a naive little boy. Your brother will not be pleased."

"Yeah...." Max followed Shanti into the lobby where he saw Icarus helping injured civilians and barking out orders.

And Max watched as his brother met eyes with him, smiled, and then frowned upon seeing Cinder in his arms. 

"I know."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go, and that'll be the epilogue! Sorry, I know I said I would have it done within the week, but Voltron Season 6 was a thing....  
> I'm sure some of you understand.


	16. The First Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's part of the story comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Let's say sunshine for eyeryone  
> But as far as I can remember  
> We've been migratory animals  
> Living under changing weather.  
> Someday we will foresee obstacles  
> Through the blizzard, through the blizzard."
> 
> Obstacles by Syd Matters

_"Do you believe in destiny?"_

_"It wasn't supposed to be like this!"_

_"Jaune..."_

_"This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin."_

_"I don't know.... and I don't care."_

_"Don't you **dare**!"_

_"Only in her wildest dreams!"_

_"There's Misaki."_

_"Do you understand, Miss Rose?"_

_"He **saved** me."_

_"I took care of some really bad people."_

_"Tell them about what you've done to their friend."_

_"It's gonna.... It's gonna take some time for her to get used to things."_

_"To **her."**_

_"Hello, Ruby."_

_"And Blake **ran!** "_

"To  **Misaki.** "

"And I can't  **wait** to watch you  **burn.** "

_She's coming to kill me._

_**"RUBY!"** _

* * *

_Something is ending._

_But also beginning._

I knew it, even back then. 

_When the time comes to face my enemy...._

I lost so many friends, dad.

_Will I be ready?_

I was not even remotely ready.

_I'm scared._

Just thinking about it upsets me, dad. 

I'm still scared.

I have so many regrets.

But there's nothing I can do now.

* * *

 

I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. "Weiss!'

The room around me was foreign. Crimson drapes shrouded the windows, shielding the light outside, and I was covered in blankets of that same color.

"So... you're awake, huh?"

Startled, my head jerked in the direction of a strangely familiar voice.

_"Actually.... **we'll** be taking them."_

"Oh..."

Standing in front of the ebony black door of the room, was a beautiful young woman with aqua blue eyes and thick scarlet hair. She was downed in a tight dress that matched her eyes and highlighted her very large chest. 

Confused, I held my hands to my throbbing head. "Where am I? My team..."

"They're downstairs somewhere. I overheard the blonde one mention something about sending them all to oblivion. But anyway..." the woman rushed over to my bedside and stretched her hand out. "I'm Rias Gremory. Ruby Rose?"

"Yeah..." I was slightly skeptical, but I gently took her hand and nearly had the wind knocked out of me as she pulled me out of bed. 

"If it were up to me, you'd be joining  _my_ household," she winked. "But alas... Misaki seems to like you a lot."

"I'm still confused. Where am I exactly?"  _Misaki...._ Where had I heard that name before?" 

Rias grinned. "London. You were going to go to the academy but like I said... my younger sister claimed you. She wants to speak with you and you only."

_"She?"_

_Misaki._

* * *

The hallways of the mansion I had been staying in were eerily lit with lanterns that cast a crimson flame, and every door I passed was that same ebony black.

"Why red? It seems to be quite a theme here." I noted as I stared down at the nightgown I was wearing which was also crimson. 

"It's our family's color. The other devil clans have their own too; yellow, blue, and green. You know... like  _Heathers."_

_"Heathers?"_ I echoed, even more confused. 

"Oh," Rias sounded disappointed. "That's right... You're from Remnant. Remind me to educate you sometime."

Before I could get clarification on what she was referring to, we stopped in front of what I assumed to be the door to Misaki's room. 

 

It was black like the other door, but was also barred and had what looked like a card scanner in place of a doorknob. 

"Miss Reeves rarely asks for guests. She's very reclusive..... Don't you think this is a bit odd, Rias?"

Me and Rias turned around to see  woman standing behind us. She had long navy hair that was pulled up into a ponytail and she wore a white robe. 

She was also smiling quite perversely.

"Hello, Akeno." Rias bowed. "Yes... It is a bit strange, but Zechs says it's alright, so...." she shrugged. "It's alright." 

 

"Well, Miss Rose?" Akeno rattled as Rias pulled a scarlet-colored security card out of the cleavage of her dress and waved in in front of the scanner. "This is a huge honor. Misaki only invites family members, servants, or close friends in her chambers. You're  _ **special.**_ How does that make you feel?"

I ignored Akeno. 

The door slowly opened. The room beyond was casted in a bright, heavenly light that contrasted everything else I had seen in the mansion thus far. 

And as I took those first steps, I came to a revelation that still haunts me to this day:

_I was always meant to leave Remnant._

"Misaki? You'll never believe who's awake."

Playful laughter bounced around the room and soothed every negative emotion inside of me.

_"Oh?"_

My heart stopped. I drew a sharp breath. "H-hello..."

The laughter ceased.

The light dimmed.

She was standing right in front of me.

I could  _feel_ her powerful, twisted aura.

I was afraid. 

Nothing had ever scared me that much. 

And for a second I thought she was going to kill me. 

But instead, she beamed and held my chin in her hand. Her skin was ice cold. 

_"So **you're** the silver eyed minx I've heard so much about. Come... sit with me. Let's chat." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD IT'S FINALLY DONE!
> 
> Thank you so much for the reads, guys! You won't have to wait too long for volume two!   
> Wow, I'm glad the intro volume is done!  
> Now.... on to the good stuff :)
> 
> See you soon,  
> Lisa Kay


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